

/ 












A 



i i . • ' 4 ‘. <^ ^ > t i '^ ■ ! Ji /. ♦.*^'# 


•■M 


V'‘l. 









"Pt 


^ • 




t A 









j:, Vi* 


Kjr*v3 


<• 






r / 


/ ^ 




S’ 


r' ‘V '-•■•:.> .: 


/i-wf'v'-'S ■ 

I ' W ; V - > . “• - , '<?¥ 




mus 


' ^ ‘ 'V •-■; -‘.'V . ‘ ,;. , «■. 

■•. > . ■•. ^ . ■* _. '•■ i- •■.’« j "'''-wfii'y *s ■■’ • •^' 


caE?‘’'>*''(" ■’ *■// " • f :••■,' V.,.. ' ■ 


i' ^ 

» *. 'V^* 'P 


H 


'- i 

I-.- 



(■ 


: i \-"- . 


* ». 


I’-v ' ’‘■■^ ■ ''"i 

•O'-’’ /jreffXKB ' • •* . O 

' ' 'V ‘'ll V 

‘ i /V’. ''M io.' . ^ . 




'.i'H -Ji 


rTfi. 


J 


* : : -’sN ™:' ■; '. /.■ . ■. v- ■ 

, ,fs;< ■ ''' * *1 f : , '■:• ' ivf* * ■ 

' ,• ' ',:^:.^U;v^ '/p ^ 


: ' fe’tf '"’ '■' ''•■ 

W^' '''S" A'r^'.:,- '., ^ 

><!(*' ‘.'J' > ^jr 

iflvi 


,f.; 

• ikiK 

V -«' • 




.vn 


/• .‘ .' ' . .>■■: ■ V. ■ ’.i',*N. \ Jv :'\ . 

■i ' "^ . Z'!^ f •' 

c . •' 1 *v # . , 

^ - • '> ^j, : Vy 

f '-tfiK.. , 

*. - 5 j > 'i ■ / 





^ . ' ■ * • •'^' 


A:^:.- ■ ’i ■ ' 

r r. - > Vk. . 

* *»' . • «i* V' A , , •J,‘ 


iki 






I - 

I 

i 


I 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 
WHO STAYED AT HOME 






SOME MERRY MISSION BABIES 








Twelve Tittle Pilgrims 
Who Stayed at Home 


By 

Lucy Jameson Scott 

(Mrs. O. W. Scott) 



New York Chicago Toronto 

Fleming H. Revell Company 

London and Edinburgh 



Copyright, 1903, by 
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
( October) 



the tIOrtARY Qf 

cowanF-ss, 

Twc CuPt-# R«08IV«t> 


I m •£> i»| 



New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
Chicago : 63 Washington Street 
Toronto : 27 Richmond Street, W 
London : 2 1 Paternoster Square 
Edinburgh : 30 St. Mary Street 


To the Girls and Boys every ^ 
where who are helping to send 
the Glad Tidings to Heathen 
Lands this book is affection- 
ately dedicated by the author 


r 



WELCOMING THE BABY (JAPAN) 






4 







THE STICK OF FATE 


CONTENTS 


/. 

The Fery Beginning .... 

13 

//. 

The Pilgrims Leave America 

28 

IIL 

Still in yapan ..... 

48 

IF. 

The Pilgrims Fisit Mission Schools 

67 

F. 

The Pilgrims Fisit China . 

86 

FI. 

Idol Temples and Mission Schools . 

III 

FII. 

Glimpses of the Hermit Nation . 

135 

Fill. 

The Pilgrims Picnic Under Foreign 
Trees ..... 

152 

IX. 

Entering India ..... 

167 

X. 

After Facation ..... 

186 

XL 

Light Reflected from Foreign Shores 

204 

XII. 

The Suburbs of India 

224 

XIII. 

Several Surprises .... 

243 

XIF. 

Given to China .... 

257 


9 , 



ANCESTRAL TABLET 






LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Some Merry Mission Babies 
Welcoming the Baby (Japan) 

Great Bell at Seoul, Korea 
The Stick of Fate, (China) 

Ancestral Tablet, (China) 

A Japanese Shop .... 

Fujiyama 

The Writing Lesson 
Temple of Ieyasu, Nikko, Japan 
Some Jolly Little Kindergartners 
A Nurse Girl’s School .... 
The Women Wear Ornament^^l 
Pins and Flowers .... 

Two Baskets Full 

Korean Boys and Girls 
Korean Temple and Priests 
Chinese Babies with the Missionaries 
Going with the Wash 
f Riding in a Doli 
Hindu and American 
Faith, Hope and Love 
Burmese School-Girls 


Frontispiece 

PAGE 6 


Facing Page 




7 

8 
lo 
12 
30 
50 

64 

74 

82 

90 
1 14 
142 
148 ^ 

154 

178 ^ 
182 ✓ 
194 
216 
232 / 




lAl^ANESE SHOP 













Twelve Little Pilgrims Who 
Stayed at Home 


I 


THE VEKY BEGINNING 



ING! TING!^^ Mr. Stebbins 


struck the bell and Sunday- 
school was over. 


Then Miss Alice Gay^s class gathered 
still closer about her. 

^^CouldnTwe have one asked Avis 
Brent. 

O do ! whispered Persis Taylor, her 
black eyes full of enthusiasm. 

“ Miss Gay, there^s twelve of us count- 
ing Lou, same as that society he told 
about,” added Maud Barton. 

Miss Gay looked into the eyes, — black, 
brown and blue — which were fixed upon 


H 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


her and said: ‘‘I expected this, girls. 
While Mr. Bradford was telling us about 
the wonderful success of those children 
over in Berea, I said to myself, * It will 
be just like my girls to want to do some- 
thing for those heathen children.^ But I 
cannot tell you yet what we will do. If 
you can come to my home to-morrow, 
after school, we will talk it over.’^ 

All the girls promised to be there, and 
then hurried away, talking earnestly 
as they went. 

But what had so aroused Miss Gay’s 
class ? Why, Saturday afternoon a freight 
train broke down and delayed a passenger 
train. Mr. Bradford, who was very 
anxious to reach Boston that night, was 
obliged to ride out to Rockside on the 
short line of railroad which ran to that 
village, and remain there over Sunday. 
He was not pleased to have his plans up- 
set in this way, but he went to church 
and tried to forget his vexation. The 
minister and the superintendent recog- 
nized him as a Sunday-school worker, so 
he was called up to make a speech. 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


15 


But IVe nothing to say to these boys 
and girls, not a word,” he declared. 
But they would not excuse him, and he 
happened to think of the Mission 
Gleaner^s entertainment which had just 
been given in the Berean Church. 

He told the story well, for his whole 
soul was stirred by the thought of the 
great wide world waiting for the Gospel, 
and with pride and gratitude because 
his boys and girls ” were helping to 
send this Gospel to heathen nations. 
Even the roguish boys in the front seat 
listened, and every young heart in the 
school was touched. Where there is a 
real fire, you can’t help feeling the 
warmth ; and Mr. Bradford’s words came 
straight from the fire within.” 

Mr. Stebbins was very uneasy while 
the stranger was speaking. He did not 
want the people to get interested in mis- 
sions until the church debt was paid. 
There had been a church debt for a 
great many years, and whenever the 
minister or a missionary wanted to plead 
for missions, Mr. Stebbins or some other 


i6 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


member would say, “ Don^t think of 
such a thing ! We must pay our debt 
first/ ^ So the debt was a kind of ex- 
tinguisher under which the Rockside 
Church tried to shine. But its light did 
not reach very far. 

But while Mr. Stebbins was tumbling 
his hair, and bending the cover of his 
singing-book in his agitation over Mr. 
Bradford's speech, the good seed was 
being received into good soil. Miss 
Gay^s class was ready for it. She had 
made the lessons interesting, and had led 
her girls to look beyond themselves, and 
done much to prepare the way, so she 
was not surprised by their eager ques- 
tions. And yet, as she walked home- 
ward, her face was thoughtful and a little 
anxious. 

She and her father lived alone in a 
pretty brown house on the hill, and after 
luncheon she stood in their pleasant wide 
dining-room talking to herself as she 
often did when she did not know just 
what to do. 

'' Perhaps it is my duty. I could have 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


17 


them meet here, — and father would give 
me a dozen small rocking-chairs from the 
store I am sure. I wonder if I could 
make foreign places and people seem real, 
I wonder if I could teach them what it 
means to have a share in mission work. 
I wonder if I know myself. 

And then Miss Gay sat down and the 
room was very quiet while she talked 
with her own heart and with God. 

She was aroused by a rap at the side 
door followed immediately by a light 
step crossing the kitchen, and the ap- 
pearance of a bright face in the doorway. 
It was Lou Leslie, her niece who lived 
just the width of the lawn away. 

You don’t care if I came over, do you. 
Aunt Alice ? ” she began. I keep think- 
ing ’bout those things.” 

Come here, darling,” said Miss Gay, 
drawing her close ; tell me what you 
think we ought to do.” 

Lou drew a long breath. 

Well, that man wouldn’t tell a wrong 
story, would he? And if it’s true, — if 
the mothers do throw their babies to 


i8 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


the fishes '' Crocodiles, Lou,'’ cor- 

rected her aunt. 

Yes, croc'diles, — and if they do all 
those naughty things ’cause they don’t 
know Jesus, and if some children over 
where that man lives can get money to 
send ’em mish’naries and Bibles, why, 
what you s’pose? Can’t we help too?” 
and Lou clapped her hands as if she had 
worked her way through a problem and 
found the right answer. 

Miss Gay kissed her. “ That is good 
logic,” she said. 

Is that a nice word for me ? ” asked 
the little girl. Papa said he thought 
I had quite a grown up heart about 
some things. I think that’s what he 
said.” 

“ So you have. Yes, logic is a nice 
word. It means that you see what ought 
to be done, and you do not stop to think 
whether it will be hard or easy to do it. 
Little Lou, you are right, and we will do 
something.” 

‘‘And can I be in it?” asked Lou 
rather anxiously. 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


19 


it? I couldn't get along without 
you," Aunt Alice replied. 

“ 'Cause sometimes the girls think I'm 
too small," Lou added, shyly. 

Miss Gay's only reply was to hug her 
still closer and kiss the soft pink cheek. 

Everybody loved Lou Leslie, and if she 
had not been as good as she was sweet, 
she would have been a spoiled child. 

As it was, she grew as naturally as a 
robin or a rose, and seemed to be in the 
world just to make it happier and better. 
Her Aunt Alice had taken her to Sun- 
day-school and to her own class when she 
was a wee morsel of a girl, and instead of 
going into the Infant Department," Lou 
had stayed there, although the other girls 
were several years older than herself. 
They never reminded her of her extreme 
youth, however, except when they were 
allowed, as a class, to eat ice cream and 
cake in the evening. Then they had to 
let Lou go to Mrs. White's party," 
which meant night-gown and bed for the 
small girl. 

At the earliest possible moment the 


20 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


next afternoon Miss Gay saw her girls 
crossing the lawn, and soon ushered them 
into the pleasant dining-room. “ Oh ! ” 
they exclaimed, '' you’re going to have it, 
or you would not have these rocking- 
chairs ! ” For there were twelve pretty 
red chairs,— just the right size for girls 
from eight to thirteen years old, scattered 
about the room. 

Like any flock of merry girls they 
talked and laughed and asked questions 
until Miss Gay rapped on the table. In- 
stantly every one flew to her chair and 
all eyes were fastened upon the beloved 
teacher. 

“ I see that you haven’t forgotten what 
you came for,” she began, smilingly, 
“ since you are all asking if we can have 
a society ; so I will tell you my thought. 
You remember I told you once about 
the Children’s Crusade, when thousands of 
boys and girls left their homes in France 
and Germany and started for Palestine. 
They wanted to help rescue Christ’s 
tomb from the Turks. It is a strange sad 
story, for most of the children died on the 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


21 


journey or became slaves to the Turks. 
We know better than to do anything 
of that kind, but we want a little of the 
courage and enthusiasm they had to use 
in another way. We want to go abroad 
to learn about the children who are in the 
other part of the great house we live in, 
so that we can pray for them and love 
them, and help them. If we can get ac- 
quainted with them so that they seem 
like real boys and girls, in real homes, 
then it will not be easy to forget them. 
But we cannot go across the ocean, — I 
wish we could — so we must use our minds 
and imaginations and make the trip that 
way. There was a man named Thoreau 
who once said, 

“ • If with fancy unfurled 
You leave your abode, 

You may go round the world 
By the Marlboro road. ’ 

So we can go ‘ round the world ^ in these 
rocking-chairs by way of Rockside. You 
shall be a band of pilgrims, and I will be 
your leader. Do you think that would 
be pleasant ? ” 


22 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


There was a chorus of Yes ma’ams/^ 
from the eager listeners. 

The girls always listened when Miss 
Gay talked to them, for she had a beauti- 
ful face and a bright quick manner, and 
never indulged in “ baby talk,” which 
these young friends from the Rockside 
grammar school would certainly have re- 
sented. 

‘‘ Very good ! ” said Miss Gay, “ but be- 
fore we start I must tell you that it means 
something to take such a long trip. If 
we were really going by steamship I am 
sure you would not leave the company in 
Japan, or China or Egypt. So we must 
agree first of all to ‘ keep together.^ Can 
you leave croquet, or skating or games to 
come to the meetings ? Think, now, and 
answer truly.” 

The smiling faces grew sober and the 
girls looked at each other a moment in 
silence. Then Avis Brent and Maud 
Barton raised their hands. One by one 
others were lifted until all had pledged 
to faithful following; but Joanna Steb- 
bins said, Papa is willing to let me be 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


23 


in anything you have, Miss Gay, but he 
says we can’t expect to raise money.” 
Trudie Eastman quickly added, with an 
approving nod, “ Mamma said to tell you 
not to forget the debt. But she’s willing 
I should save my candy money for the 
missionaries.” 

Miss Gay smiled with her lips but her 
eyes were sober as she said : “I’ll promise 
never to ask for money if your parents 
object. 

“ But we must not forget to ask God’s 
blessing on our pilgrimage. When the 
young Crusaders started for the Holy 
Land, they cried : ' God wills it ! God 
wills it ! ’ as they went from city to city. 
So I think we can more truly believe 
that He blesses us to-day.” Then she 
bowed her head and prayed, “ Dear Lord 
Jesus, help us to learn about Thy dear 
children in other lands, — help us to send 
them Thy messages of love, and to feel 
more and more that we all belong to one 
great family. Amen.” 

Then came some necessary business, 
and while that is being done we may as 


24 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


well look more closely at our company 
of Pilgrims. 

Lou Leslie, sitting next to her aunt, 
has already been introduced. Her flushed 
cheeks and bright eyes showed great in- 
terest, but she had kept quiet, letting 
the older girls talk,^’ as her careful 
mother had advised. 

Next came Persis Taylor, a stout, red- 
cheeked, black-eyed girl, who could run 
faster, laugh louder and play longer than 
any of the others. Maud Barton, her 
dear particular friend, was pale, with 
blue eyes and soft golden curls. Maudes 
dress was always neat, and her ribbons in 
place ; while Persis, or Pert,’^ as the 
girls called her, was most unfortunate 
with her clothing. Every nail and 
splinter, lying in wait for flying gar- 
ments, was sure to catch Persis. But 
Maud always carried pins to mend the 
rents, and sympathy for Pert’s ” lacer- 
ated feelings ; so they got on nicely to- 
gether as bosom friends. 

Avis Brent, the minister’s daughter 
and a peacemaker, came next, and then 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


25 


Gladys Stearns who never forgot that her 
father was Colonel Stearns, and that she 
could dress better than any other girl in 
the class. 

Mary Ellen Fairbrother, an awkward 
warm-hearted girl, whose home training 
had not been very good, sat next. She 
admired Gladys and was devoted to her, 
but had to bear an amount of “ snub- 
bing which would have discouraged a 
less unselfish nature. 

Then came two sisters, Lizzie and Lydia 
Wheeler, who lived on a farm half a mile 
from the village. They were nice sen- 
sible girls and excellent scholars. Joanna 
Stebbins, next in the circle was bright 
and quaint, and always ready for fun, as 
was Trudie Eastman, whose artistic gift 
was something remarkable. Ella Brown 
was a modest, friendly girl, and Edith 
Kingsley who finished the circle at Miss 
Gay’s left, — whose pretty head was cov- 
ered with short auburn curls, was a little 
musician, carefully trained by her father. 

Twelve bright girls they were, fairly 
representing New England, and, for that 


26 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


matter, the larger part of our Union since 
American boys and girls are much alike 
everywhere. 

Rockside — their native village — was a 
pleasant old town which had started on 
both sides of the river where its great 
busy factories stood. But its streets had 
slowly climbed the hills until the village 
had spread in every direction and pretty 
homes with lawns and gardens covered 
the broad terraces. Now then, you can 
locate the Pilgrims and be ready, staff in 
hand, to follow them around the world. 

But while we have been introducing 
the girls, they have chosen Avis Brent 
for scribe ” or secretary, and Maud Bar- 
ton to carry the Pilgrims’ wallet, as Miss 
Gay called the treasury which was to be. 

“ The girls’ Mission Band over to the 
other church has a motto,” said Avis. 

What is it? ” 

It’s the ' do unto others as you’d have 
them do to you ’ text.” 

Well, girls, you can select one, if you 
wish. Each one give a verse and then 
we will decide which is best.” Miss Gay 


THE VERY BEGINNING 


27 


knew her girls could be trusted to do this 
because they always learned their memory 
verses. 

Lou Leslie was the last in the circle, 
and she could not think of one after 
Lydia Wheeler had taken the “ suffer lit- 
tle children ” verse. Her face grew rosy 
and she bit her lip and the girls tried to 
give her hints, but all in vain. Suddenly 
she jumped up with a cheerful : Vve just 
thought of one. ^ And Jesus said unto 
His disciples. Forget Me not.’ ” 

There was a subdued smile on the faces 
turned towards Miss Gay, — a tender 
motherly smile which said, she doesn’t 
know any better, does she ? ” 

That is nearly right, Lou. Jesus did 
say almost those very words, and if we 
obey them we will not forget His lit- 
tle children in other lands,” said Miss 
Gay. 

“ It would make a nice motto I think, ” 
added Joanna; and so, very soon, they 
voted unanimously to take for their 
motto, Forget Me not.” 


II 


THE PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 

SEE those big maps ! ” “ And a 
§ 1 globe ! “ And pictures ! How 

nice every thing is.” 

The little Pilgrims came into the room 
smiling and eager to begin their journey. 
There were the twelve small red rocking- 
chairs with arms open wide to receive 
them, — there was Miss Alice, — as they 
always called her, — and there were the 
helps she had gathered for them. 

“ Joe, what are those little piles of 
patchwork pieces for ? ” whispered Trudie 
Eastman, with a suspicious glance towards 
the table. Joanna’s sharp eyes had al- 
ready noticed the twelve piles of gingham 
and cambric pieces, and she looked in- 
quiringly at Miss Alice, who answered 
with a smiling, “ Did you think we were 
going to travel with folded hands ? 

Gran’ma Hunter will give us two dollars 
2 $ 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


just for ^ over and over ’ seams. Shall we 
earn it for our wallet ? 

'' That’ll be fine,” said Joanna. All 
the girls did not like to sew, but they 
were willing to help, and after the 
song and prayer and the scribe’s re- 
port, the red rocking-chairs began to 
sway gently to the motion of busy little 
needle women. Each one was furnished 
with a new steel thimble and spool of cot- 
ton so that there need be no borrowing. 

When you have anything to say or to 
read, and when your fingers are tired, you 
can stop sewing,” said Miss Alice as she 
started Lou’s first seam. 

Where are we going first. Miss Alice ? 
O, do let’s begin to start ! ” exclaimed 
Persis Taylor. 

“It is fortunate for you that a pilgrim 
needs only his staff and wallet. We have 
no steamer trunks, chairs, wraps nor 
money. We will just play that we have 
reached Vancouver, — here it is on the 
map — and all taken passage on a great 
steamer. We are none of us seasick, and 
as we sail on and on for two long weeks 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


we learn to love the water and the winds. 
Now at the end of two weeks we come 
into a fine harbor and we see in the dis- 
tance a mountain rising above what looks 
like a long low coast. Do you know where 
we are going ? 

Yes ma’am, to Japan,” cried several 
voices. 

And before we land what can you tell 
me about this wonderful country ? ” 

“It is an island.” “It is several 
islands, I think.” 

“ Yes, there are nearly four thousand 
islands, but only four are usually men- 
tioned, — Nippon, Yezo, Kiuchiu and 
Shikoku. We call them all ‘Japan.’ 
Now what more do you know about it? ” 
“I know it is very beautiful,” said 
Lizzie Wheeler, “ and the Japanese un- 
derstand how to make the best of every- 
thing.” 

“ And can you tell me what that high 
mountain is which we see? ” 

“ 0 yes, that is Fujisan, or Fuji- 
yama. It is their highest mountain.” 

“ Very good. Now our steamer is 



FUJIYA^IA 









PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 31 


coming near to the shore, and we look 
out upon fishing boats, and steam 
launches, and sampans, and fishermen 
and women. We take a boat and reach 
the shore and there we are, — in what 
city ? 

“Yokahama, I think,” said Joanna 
who had been eyeing the map sharply. 

“Yes, and here we find street cars, but 
we prefer to ride as travellers did before 
these were introduced. So, not having 
any trunks to look after, we turn to the 
— who will tell me how we will ride in 
Japan ? ” 

“ Camels, I thinky^^ said little Lou. 

“ No, no, donkeys,” corrected Gladys, 
whose father had recently returned from 
Egypt. 

“ Not a bit of it ! We will take a jm- 
richishay or several of them, for our 
party.” 

“ What kind of animal is that? ” asked 
Lou, with wide open eyes. 

“It is a carriage, dear, like a big old- 
fashioned baby carriage, and a man 
draws it.” 


32 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Truly, Miss Alice ? Aren’t there any 
horses in Japan ? ” asked Avis. 

Only a few. There are more since 
the war with China, but even now they 
are used but little to draw carriages. 
The jinrickisha men are thin and brown, 
with bare muscular legs and arms, and 
they are very anxious to carry us any- 
where we wish to go for ten cents an 
hour.” 

Do you pay them with our money ? 
I mean, is their money like ours ? ” asked 
Maud. 

No, here are some of their coins 
which I borrowed of your father. Avis. 
You notice the square hole in each one, 
which makes it easy to carry a good 
many on a string.” 

The girls gathered around Miss Gay to 
examine the small, thin, brown bits of 
money. 

‘‘How much are they worth?” was 
the first question. 

“This is a sen, and has the value of 
our cent. One hundred make a yen or 
silver dollar. But instead of having no 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


33 


smaller coin than the sen^ they have the 
Tin and it takes ten of these to make a 
sen. Now we will climb in and sit down 
upon the cushioned seat, — two of us to- 
gether as we are small people.’’ 

You’ll let me ride with you, won’t 
you, Aunt Alice ? ” asked Lou, whose two 
bits of patchwork dangled over the arm 
of her chair. 

“ Certainly, I won’t leave you, dear. 
And now the bare-legged men lift the 
shafts, and away they go like so many 
sure footed ponies, crying out ^ Hai ! 
Hai ! ’ if children are in the way.” 

I think it must be nice to have 
horses that can understand just what you 
say, and can talk back, and harness and 
unharness themselves,” said Gladys, 
whose father’s spirited horses did not 
always seem to understand.” 

“Yes, and Miss Bacon, who lived a 
long time in Japan and has written a 
book about it, says that these men are 
often perfectly devoted to those they 
serve. They will race up hill and down, 
in storm and hot sunshine, all day 


34 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


long and still be patient and cheerful. 
And if any one dares insult his passenger 
the jinrickisha man will drop the shafts 
and punish the offender on the spot.’^ 

O I should like that kind of a 
horse ! ’’ exclaimed Gladys very earnestly. 
“ There’s a perfectly dreadful dog that 
flies out of a yard when we ride by and 
scares Gyp so he almost runs away. 
Now if we only had a man to draw us, 
he could drop the shafts and whip that 
dog.” 

The girls laughed, and Miss Gay was 
glad to see that Gladys had become 
interested. 

Please tell us more about the people, 
Miss Alice. Are they all brown ? ” asked 
quiet Ella Brown. 

“Yes, all brown.” “Just like you, 
Ella,” whispered naughty Jo. “ And 
smaller than we Americans are,” con- 
tinued Miss Alice. “Where I was at 
school one of the students was a Japa- 
nese, and I remember he only reached 
the shoulder of one of the tallest boys. 
As we ride along we shall see that 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


35 


they are a polite people, for on every side 
they say to us, ^ 0-hey~o ! ' which is ^ good- 
morning/ There are many women and 
children in the street, and do you see 
how the babies are carried ? The mother, 
or servant, or little sister, has her charge 
fastened upon her back. If little sister 
carries it she may hop and jump as much 
as she pleases and the little head be- 
tween her shoulders will wag from one 
side to the other but baby will not cry.’’ 

Why not? ” asked Lou. 

Japanese babies are very good-natured, 
and they are treated in this way when very 
young so they know nothing better. They 
learn to cling to the back of nurse or sister 
with their tiny arms and legs like so many 
squirrels.” 

But how are they fastened on ? ” Ella 
inquired. 

Tied on with long bands of cloth. 
Very wealthy people employ some one to 
carry their babies in the arms constantly, 
but otherwise they ride ^ pick-a-back ’ 
until they are able to walk.” 

“01 wish I could have a little Japa- 


36 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


nese baby that wouldn't cry to carry on 
my back ! " said Lou. Do they wear 
little white dresses like Mrs. Dinsmore's 
baby?" 

No, their dresses are made just like 
those of older people, out of silk, or cotton 
colored goods. You wouldn’t like to 
have your baby wear a blue or red dress, 
would you ? ’’ 

The girls looked at each other in con- 
sternation at thought of a tiny child in a 
flowered silk gown. 

Tell us just how the people dress." 
‘‘ And what they wear on their heads and 
feet," were the first questions after a few 
minutes spent in discussing the probable 
appearance of a “ little Jap," with the 
help of Miss Gay’s pictures. 

I think the men and women wear 
gowns nearly alike. The Japanese who 
was in school with me used to wear his 
native costume when he lectured. It was 
straight and narrow with wide sleeves, 
and around the waist he wore a girdle 
tied loosely. This garment which he 
called a kimono came below his knees and 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


37 


loose trousers, of thin material, fell to his 
shoes. I find that the women always 
wear a broad sash tied in a large knot 
behind as you see in this photograph. 
It is called an obV^ 

I should think she would have to 
take very short steps in such a narrow 
skirt,’' said Persis. 

‘‘ You couldn’t run races. Pert, if you 
had to wear it,” whispered Maud. 

Miss Alice heard, and smiled as she 
said, Persis would find the Japanese 
shoes a hindrance too, I imagine. I will 
read you what a little American girl liv- 
ing in Japan wrote home about them. 
She says, ^ I know the children’s feet are 
just like ours, for they often go without 
stockings ; but they don’t look the same, 
because their socks have a separate place 
for the big toe, just as we do for the 
thumb in our mittens. When they go 
outdoors, without touching them with 
their hands, they slip their feet into 
wooden clogs, or straw sandals, and the 
thong passes between the big toe and the 
other toes and they can run as fast as you 


38 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


can and not drop them off. Sometimes I 
tease for such a pair of shoes, but my toes 
are not used to having the strap between 
them and would soon get sore, but I like 
to borrow a pair of wooden ones and hear 
the clatter, clatter on the back steps.' " 

Did you say they put on those queer 
shoes only when they went outdoors?" 
asked Edith. 

Yes, — they never wear them in the 
house. There are supports like small 
blocks to keep the foot above the ground ; 
and ladies shuffle, in walking, because it 
is awkward to hold the sandal, or gita^ on 
with the strap." 

Do you mean that in the house the 
women and girls wear only their stock- 
ings f " persisted Edith. 

Yes, dear. Miss Bacon says they wear 
only the soft white tabiy or mitten-like 
sock." 

“ Well then, their houses can't be like 
ours. Just think how a pair of white 
stockings would look if we should have 
them in place of our shoes ! " 

“ Have you noticed this narrow street 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 39 


that our jinrickisha man is carrying us 
through At this point Miss Gay 
showed them the picture of a Japanese 
village. 

I think the artist ought to have 
waited till the people came out/’ said 
Trudie Eastman, but do look at the 
funny little houses ! ” 

^‘What’s that fuzz on the roof?” 
“ And where are the steps, and piazzas 
and front doors ? ” 

“ And chimneys ! O, where are the 
chimneys ? ” 

‘‘ Did you ever, ever see such a squatty 
little village before ? ” 

Now I think you are ready to visit a 
Japanese home,” said Miss Gay, after the 
girls had all examined the picture and 
expressed their opinion. 

‘‘ We will tell our horse to stop right 
here in the street, and you will please 
stand behind me. Now, as there are no 
doors and no bells I will call ‘ Go-men- 
na-sai ; ’ (excuse me) until some one 
comes to ask us in. Now we must all 
take off our shoes, if we wish to be really 


40 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


polite. A pretty little brown woman 
neatly dressed and with a flower in her 
glossy hair, which is done high upon her 
head, comes to meet us. She bows very, 
very low before us, putting her forehead 
to the mat and not minding it at all.’^ 

We can’t do that,” said Trudie, we 
would tumble over in a heap.” 

“Yes, but they have practiced ever 
since they were mere babies, and are as 
graceful as we would be awkward. She 
leads us through the kitchen, which is 
always the front room, and through other 
rooms to the parlor which is at the back 
of the house, opening upon the garden, 
which if it is ever so small, is nicely kept 
and beautiful. Now where will you sit, 
girls ? ” 

“Right down on the floor with feet 
curled under, this way,” and Persis, al- 
ways ready for gymnastic exercise, dropped 
upon the carpet with limbs comfortably 
crossed and feet hidden. “ But I couldn’t 
sit that way more than three minutes. 
Miss Alice. I happened to know about 
it because when mamma and I went vis- 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


41 


iting in Lockport, we saw a * Japanese 
wedding/ as they called it, in a church/^ 
Persis has given us a very good illus- 
tration. All right, it will rest you all to 
try it,’^ and twelve Pilgrims were soon 
seated a la Japanese, in a circle. 

The parlor floor is covered with nice 
white mats, so you can see how much 
trouble our heavy leather shoes would 
have made. Now I want Trudie, our 
Pilgrim artist, to And out how the parlor 
is furnished, and something about Japa- 
nese vases and pictures to tell us at our 
next meeting. Will you, Trudie? 

The little girPs fair face grew rosy as 
she replied, “ Yes, Miss Alice, I will look 
through papa^s library and see if there is 
anything on Japanese art.^^ 

This was a very nice answer, but I am 
sorry to say that Persis looked at Maud 
with an Ahem ! ’’ as if to say, Doesn't 
she feel flne ! " 

Avis held the picture of the village and 
said quickly, You didn't tell us what the 
^ fuzz ' is, on top of the houses." 

That puzzled me at first, but one of 


42 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


our missionaries writes that green moss 
often grows upon the roofs which are 
made of coarse grass, and that sometimes 
bright flowers may be seen growing upon 
the ridge-pole.” 

How queer ! but what about the chim- 
neys? ” 

“ They do not use stoves like ours, 
Avis, but small open charcoal fires. 
When a missionary had her school-home 
made ‘ American fashion,^ the people al- 
ways referred to it as ^ the house with a 
chimney.^ ” 

“IsnT it interesting? I wish I could 
know more about the houses.” 

Suppose you try to find out all you 
would like to know and tell us about it 
next Saturday,” suggested Miss Gay, and 
Avis consented because she knew her 
father, who was the minister, had piles 
of books and magazines which she could 
consult, although she had never before 
cared to do so. 

Lou had quietly lifted another picture. 
“ I’ve found a funny store,” said she, 
** and the front side is all blown away/’ 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 


43 


Take the glass, Lou, and tell us what 
you see in this Japanese shop,’’ said her 
aunt. 

The little girl took the magnifying 
glass, and peeping through it exclaimed : 

Bags of pop-corn all in rows ! and on 
the right side there are four rows of cun- 
ning little cologne bottles — or something. 
And whisk broom-holders ! and canes and 
fans ! ” 

The picture was passed along and Miss 
Gay said, What Lou calls pop-corn bags 
are small cakes in bags, which children 
are very fond of ; and the cologne bottles 
are little images of a Japanese idol called 
Daruma. They say that many years ago 
he was a follower of Buddha who sat in 
a squatting position for nine years until 
his legs became paralyzed and he could 
not use them. So his image is always 
made without legs.” Here Miss Gay lifted 
the cover of her work-basket and took out 
a funny little round headed, round bodied 
image, saying as she did so, “ Aunt Eliza- 
beth brought this from the World’s Fair, 
and we have kept it as a curious kind of 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


puzzle. You see if you place him upon 
his head, he immediately turns a sum- 
mersault and regains his balance. The 
girls gathered around the table and tried 
Daruma in various positions, but he al- 
ways rolled back, and stood right side up, 
because inside there was a weight which 
held him in place. 

“ I have never thought that this was an 
idol, until since I began to study Japan, 
said Miss Gay, but I find that tens of thou- 
sands are sold in Japan. The shops are 
always open like this, and the shopkeep- 
ers and clerks are very polite. In stores 
where silks and other fine goods are sold 
the merchant will send out a clerk with 
quantities of goods to the houses, and 
ladies can examine and make their choice 
without any trouble. But if they prefer 
to go to the stores, they find the clerks 
sitting upon the mats which cover the 
fioor. The ladies are invited to sit down 
and tea is offered. Then small boys are 
sent to the fireproof warehouse to bring 
the beautiful silks, and they are shown to 
the customers. When they are ready to 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 45 


leave, all the clerks and small boys shout 
together : ^ Thanks for your continued 
favors/ As this is repeated for every cus- 
tomer, it makes quite a din.’’ 

But how nice it must be to have the 
clerks so polite,” said Gladys. “ Mamma 
thinks clerks are about as saucy as they 
can be.” 

Sometimes they are very tired, stand- 
ing as they do all day. I wish we had a 
few Japanese mats for them to sit upon ; 
perhaps they would be more polite,” said 
Miss Gay. 

O here’s another picture ! ” cried Lou. 

We will keep that for next time, for 
the hour is gone. There are so many, 
many interesting things for us to see, that 
we will have to spend one more hour at 
least in Japan. I wish you would all see 
what you can bring in to illustrate our 
trip. Have you enjoyed going abroad, 
to-day?” 

'' Yes ma’am, it’s fine ! ” ‘‘I wish the 

hour was longer.” I shall tell my 
mother that if she could come here she 
wouldn’t say that everything about mis- 


46 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


sions is dry as dust/^ said one and an- 
other as they laid their patchwork in nice 
order upon the table. 

Aunt Alice/ ^ said Lou, with a troub- 
led face, “ do you remember that you left 
our jinrickisha man waiting for us ? 

They all laughed at the funny idea, — 
as if an imaginary man could get tired, 
— but Miss Gay gravely handed Lou 
several sens from the minister’s collec- 
tion. '' Pay him, Lou, and tell him we 
will ride again next week.” The little 
girl drew a long breath, and glanced 
around shyly as she took the money. 

'' You’re laughing at me, I know, but I 
’magined he was standing right out there 
’side of that house.” 

'' I guess we’re real pilgrims then, and 
we can go round the world in our rock- 
ing-chairs,” said Avis as she hugged Lou. 
She was rewarded by one of the little 
girl’s sweetest kisses, and a confidential 
whisper '' right in her ear.” 

Ask her yourself,” she replied. O 
Aunt Alice, said Lou, I wanted Avis 
to ask you if you wouldn’t please please 


PILGRIMS LEAVE AMERICA 47 


let her sister Winnie come next time and 
bring her doll. She can sit beside me, 
and we’ll be still as two mice.” 

What do you say, Pilgrims ? Shall 
we let Lou’s dearest playmate come in? 
All in favor raise your hands.” 

There was a unanimous vote in favor, 
and Lou kissed every girl in the class in 
her delight. 


Ill 


STILL IN JAPAN 

T RUDIE EASTMAN had been 
true to her promise. She had 
crouched in one corner beside 
her father’s bookcases turning the leaves 
of every book that promised to tell about 
“ Japanese art.” But you will not be 
surprised when I tell you that she had to 
glean a little here and a little there, for 
it is hard to find just what one wants in 
one place. 

She brought the result of her earnest 
efibrt in a neatly written paper, which 
Miss Gay called for as soon as the open- 
ing exercises were over, and the Pilgrims 
had taken their patchwork. 

I begun with the parlor. Miss Alice, 
and I hope you’ll excuse me if I’ve writ- 
ten too much,” she said, and then read as 
follows : “We did not find much in that 
Japanese guest room. There were no 
48 


STILL IN JAPAN 


49 


chairs, sofas, tables, pictures — like ours, I 
mean — books, piano or tidies. There 
were soft white mats on the floor. We 
sat down in our stocking feet upon our 
heels. There was one part of the room 
which was higher than the rest, and in 
that was a vase of flowers. Above it 
hung a scroll — or I think we would call 
it a kind of banner on which was painted 
a picture of their mountain Fujiyama, 
and a landscape. The Japanese daugh- 
ter painted it, and I asked her how she 
did it. She said that she had to take 
writing lessons first, and learn to hold 
her little brush just right with very steady 
Angers. Then her old master took a 
sheet of paper and painted upon it three 
blades of grass. He did it in a minute, 
but she had to work many hours before 
she could make them with the same 
number of strokes that he did. After a 
long time she could make them from 
memory just right and then he gave her 
another lesson. 

We praised her picture of Fujiyama, 
and they brought in tea and cakes. The 


50 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Japanese make beautiful vases and all 
kinds of porcelain and lacquer work. 
But they do not make them in factories. 
The men and women and children work 
in their little homes with very simple 
tools. They make fans and paper lan- 
terns and toys of all kinds, and with just 
a few strokes of their little brushes they 
can make a man or a woman or some 
birds and a green tree upon these things. 
When I really go to Japan I shall try to 
make pictures myself, and shall learn 
how they work. Then I read about their 
love for flowers and how it is an art to 
arrange bouquets, and girls take many 
lessons that they may do it just right. I 
think that the Japanese with their po- 
liteness, and pictures, and vases, and little 
teacups are truly artistic.^’ 

The Pilgrims cheered Trudie, and in- 
deed she deserved it, for her simple little 
essay had cost hours of research. 

“Now Avis, what can you tell us about 
the Japanese homes ? asked Miss Gay. 

“ I did not write it down, but I will 
tell it as well as I can,” Avis replied. “ I 



tl 


THE WRITlNa LESSON 





4 



STILL IN JAPAN 


51 


found that the walls of their houses can 
slide apart like folding doors. They shut 
them up at night, and take their quilts 
and lie down upon the mats to sleep. 
The ladies, whose hair is done up in 
loops and over little cushions, have sup- 
ports of wood for pillows, — -just hollowed 
out to fit their necks, so the hair is kept 
nice for several days. Well, in the morn- 
ing after the beds are folded and laid 
away, then the sliding shutters are opened 
and they sweep and dust before break- 
fast.^’ 

“ What do they have for breakfast ? 
That’s what I’d like to know,” said 
Joanna. 

Soup and rice, I think.” 

That reminds me,” said Miss Gay. 

Our Japanese student said he never 
drank milk in his own country except 
for medicine. He also said that after he 
came to America some one persuaded 
him to taste a bit of butter. ‘ Oh ! ’ he 
exclaimed with a wry face, ‘ I washed my 
mouth out very much ! ’ But they eat a 
great deal of fish, and they can buy a 


52 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


peck of oysters for a few sen. I asked 
him what he would think if he had to 
pay twenty cents for a pint. ^ I think 
that wicked, very wicked I ’ he said. He 
was greatly amused on Thanksgiving day 
when the turkeys were brought in. ‘ You 
say turkey ? I paid twenty-five sen to see 
one in my home — Japan. It was on ex- 
hibition,^ he said. Go on. Avis, we hope 
you have more to tell us.^^ 

Yes, I read that they rip their dresses 
apart, usually, to wash them. Then they 
must be made over, so they have sewing 
enough all the time. For thimbles they 
use funny little straw rings, wound with 
silk threads. But I forgot. Miss Alice. I 
was going to tell how the boys begin the 
day. He — the Japanese boy — goes to his 
father's room, kneels outside of the paper 
screens, opens them and bows till his fore- 
head hits the mat. Then he says, ‘ Good- 
morning, sir; how is your honorable 
health ? ’ His father answers, and the 
boy says, ‘ what is your honorable pleas- 
ure?' O I tell you the Japanese chil- 
dren mind their fathers and mothers! 


STILL IN JAPAN 


53 


Mamma said she thought we might learn 
a good lesson from them.” 

Well done, Avis, you have made 
good use of your eyes. Now here are 
some pictures. This one is a jelly ped- 
dler. All kinds of wares are sold in 
Japanese cities, and this man has sweet 
jelly in the upper drawer of his stand, 
and a six or eight sided glass in the 
lower one. If the mother buys jelly for 
her child, they will have the privilege of 
looking through the glass, and seem to 
see as many images as there are 
sides.” 

I don't think that is a very nice look- 
ing image,” said Mary Ellen. 

No, it is an oni or imp. The chil- 
dren are taught that these imps live in a 
terrible place, ready to pull out the 
tongues of those who tell falsehoods, and 
to make disobedient children sit on 
mountains of needles. 

Children can buy any kind of dainty 
that they fancy of these peddlers if they 
have the money. Some of them have 
dolls, and dolls are also to be found in the 


54 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


shops, and in March, every year, they 
have a doll festival/' 

“ I move we learn about dolls," said 
Edith, enthusiastically. 

Miss Gay smiled. I thought you 
would think of that, but if you will be 
patient, I have a plan which I think will 
give us a ‘ Doll Festival ’ all in good 
time." 

“ O goody ! when can we have it ? " 
“ Perhaps not until after vacation. We 
will see. Now you have seen the bright 
things in Japan, and I suspect you are 
ready to believe what travellers tell us, 
that it is really ^ Children's Paradise.' 
But I don't believe there is any Paradise 
in these days where the children's best 
Friend is not found. So, Pilgrims, we 
will find our nice jinrickisha man and 
let him take us to some of the temples." 

Lou and her dear friend Winnie had 
been listening a part of the time, sewing 
a little, and smiling a good deal ; but 
when Lou heard “jinrickisha" she 
whispered, “ Now it's going to be nice ! " 
“ Come Lou and Winnie, you shall 


STILL IN JAPAN 


55 


ride with me. Can any of you tell me 
the capital of Japan ? 

Tokyo ! said a chorus of voices. 

Well, the jelly peddler belongs in 
Tokyo, so let us imagine we have come 
from Yokahama in the night. But now 
I am going in the jinrickisha with 
you to see the largest idol in Japan, 
and perhaps in the world. It is not 
many miles from Tokyo. 

Away go our brown man-horses with 
a ^ Hai ! Hai ! ’ and away run the little 
people out of the street on their clatter- 
ing clogs. You see as we leave the city 
the roads are not like ours, but still good 
enough for our narrow carriages. But 
Lou ! what are these curious things float- 
ing above us ? 

A big, funny looking man,’^ giggled 
Lou, as she bent over the picture in her 
aunt’s hand. 

No, no I those are kites. Our Jap- 
anese student said that boys and even 
men in his country had a ^ spring fever ’ 
for kite flying. Some of their kites are 
very large, — twenty feet long and half as 


56 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


wide. They are brilliantly painted, and 
represent women, warriors, dragons, 
fairies, horses and ships. I think this is 
a warrior.” 

O, Miss Alice, I was telling papa that 
we were travelling in Japan, and he said 
he hoped you wouldn’t forget to tell us 
what fighters the Japs were, and how 
they whipped the Chinese,” said Gladys. 

I am glad you reminded me of that, 
Gladys, for the Japanese are truly a 
patriotic people. One of their own 
writers, who is now a Christian, says his 
people are a race of hero worshippers. 
The mothers tell their little ones about 
the noble deeds of their ancient heroes, 
and say, ' Go and do likewise.’ The 
fathers give their sons a military train- 
ing, and every man in Japan is supposed 
to be ready to die in defense of his 
Emperor, the Mikado, at any moment.” 

“ Papa says the boys in the school sing 
the very same patriotic songs that we 
sing. They have learned our ‘ Marching 
Thro’ Georgia ’ for one.” 

At a motion from Miss Alice, Edith 


STILL IN JAPAN 


57 


flew to the piano in the back-parlor, and 
the next minute twelve little pilgrims 
were out of their jinrickishas and joining 
in the grand old song. But they hopped 
back again, like a flock of sparrows eager 
for crumbs, and Miss Gay passed out a 
large picture of Daibutsu, the Great 
Buddha.” 

This idol is made of bronze, and is 
six hundred and forty years old. You 
see it is sitting, but even in that posture 
it is fifty feet high. More than eight 
times as tall as your papa, Gladys. Its 
ear is six feet, six inches and a half long. 
On its head are nine hundred and twenty 
curls. Inside of this idol, where its 
lungs would be if it had any, is a temple 
in which are small idols and places to 
burn incense. In its back are two prayer 
frames, to which written prayers are 
tied. You cannot see in this picture the 
prayer boards, but there are some, about 
as large as doors, on each side of the 
walk leading to the idol. When the 
people come up to worship, they have 
their prayers written on strips of paper. 


58 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


They chew these into round balls and 
then throw them at the boards. If they 
stick, Buddha has heard and will answer. 
If they fall off they think he has not 
heard. 

“0 dear me! Aren’t they simple? 
But please Miss Alice, who was Buddha 
anyway ? ” asked Maud. 

Many, many years ago there lived a 
man in India who wanted to help the 
people to be good. He left his parents 
and wife and children and went into the 
mountains where he stayed a long while 
with wise teachers. Finally he came 
down to the people, and taught them 
that the only way to be happy is to become 
insensible to everything around them. 
He also taught that when a person 
dies he only enters into another body, 
and so continues to die and be born again 
until finally he reaches a state of per- 
fect rest. He had one hundred and 
eight seeds of a sacred tree strung, 
and said that any one who would re- 
peat Buddha’s name and a few other 
words over each bead two hundred thou- 


STILL IN JAPAN 


59 


sand times every day would have a clean 
heart. Buddhists have always counted 
beads and said prayers since then. His 
teachings spread to Japan, Siam, China 
and other countries.’^ 

But if he was a good man and died, 
why do they worship his image asked 
Avis. 

Because Buddha said he would leave 
to the first wooden image that was made 
of him, the work of converting the world. 
I do not know, but suppose they think 
the thousands of other images are to help 
in some way.” 

^^And do the children worship this 
idol?” 

Yes, Lizzie, they are taught that 
Buddha will be pleased or displeased with 
everything they do. Idols are all around 
them, — in the homes, the temples and in 
little shrines beside the road, and they 
know nothing better.” 

“ I thought last Saturday I ^most wished 
we lived in Japan, but now I don’t, be- 
cause they haven’t any Jesus,” whispered 
Lou. 


6o TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“ Jesus is hunting for them, and calling 
them, Lou, and we must help Him to 
find them,” said Miss Alice, as she drew 
out another picture. What do you see 
here?” she asked, handing it to Mary 
Ellen, who rarely spoke unless she was 
asked a question. 

“ I see a gateway and steps and a 
house farther in. A man stands on the 
steps with something in his hand, and a 
woman with a baby in her arms and 
another woman behind her are going 
towards him.” 

The baby is a month old and has been 
brought to the Shinto temple to be placed 
in charge of the god of this temple,” 
said Miss Alice. The old priest carries a 
wand, with strips of white paper fastened 
to it. He will clap his hands to drive evil 
spirits away, then he will wave this wand 
before the shrine, offer prayers, and after 
this the child is supposed to be under the 
care of that special god.” 

** But they love babies in Japan, donT 
they ? ” asked little Winnie, almost fright- 
ened at the sound of her own voice. 


STILL IN JAPAN 


6i 


Yes, dear, they do love them, and 
up to the time that baby is carried 
to the temple he is visited by friends 
who bring him many presents. But 
Winnie, they would never teach them 
to worship gods made of wood or bronze 
or mud, if they knew our Jesus. Now 
we will take our jinrickishas again and 
ride back to Tokyo, and visit a very 
famous temple. We will pay our nice 
brown hicksha men, and here we are in 
the famous Asakusa temple. This is a 
picture of the inside, with its priest and 
lanterns and curious collection of gifts 
from the people, but I want to tell you 
about the outside first. Japanese chil- 
dren go any day to say their prayers, for 
there are hundreds of gods here. As they 
come up the broad stone pavement, they 
buy little dishes of grain to feed the 
sacred doves which are fiying all about. 
On entering the temple the children stop 
and wash their hands and rinse their 
mouths as a sign of cleansing. Then they 
strike a gong with a hammer, or ring a 
bell by pulling a long rope, to call the 


62 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


god^s attention. Next they throw some 
money into a large box and kneel down 
beside a closed door, behind which is the 
shrine. Some of them will clap and rub 
their hands while they pray, and others 
count their beads. 

“ Isn’t that a dreadful lonesome way 
to pray ? ” said Ella, with a sigh. 

That is a very good word, Ella, for 
I believe it just expresses idol worship. 
The most interesting idol in this temple 
is the old pain-god. People who are sick 
worship it. If they have a backache — 
and the little Japanese girls who carry 
heavy babies know what that is, — they 
rub the back of the idol and then 
their own, expecting to be cured. Many 
Japanese children have weak or sore eyes, 
and the idol’s eyes have been entirely 
rubbed away, so many mothers have 
tried in that way to get help. Not only its 
eyes, but its nose and cheeks and lips, have 
all been rubbed off, until its head is noth- 
ing but a smooth, dark, dirty ball.” 

'‘But the people ache just the same, 
don’t they ? ” 


STILL IN JAPAN 


63 


** Yes, Lou, they might as well rub a 
gate-post, but as one poor woman said, 

^ It has always been done,’ and so they 
know no better. I forgot to tell you that 
at the outer gate are two tall hideous 
idols. These ‘ keep the gate,’ and are 
worshipped by travelers who have made a 
safe and prosperous journey. Straw 
sandals are always hanging around them, 
some of them almost worn out, to show 
that people have come a long distance to 
visit the temple. All around the temple 
are parks and pleasure grounds, where 
many beautiful things are seen. If we go 
to Nikko we shall find many temples 
and hundreds of idols.” 

“ Are we going to visit the mission 
schools to-day. Miss Alice ? ” 

All eyes were directed towards the little 
clock whose hands said it was almost 
four. 

This hour is the very, very shortest 
in the whole week,” said Joanna. O 
we have had almost an hour and a half 
to-day, Jo. Don’t you remember? We 
begin at half past two.” 


64 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“ My brother Sam says he thinks 
we might let the boys come. He’s 
just as curious as he can be,” said 
Persis. 

Charlie wants to come dreadfully, I 
know he does, but I told him the boys 
wouldn’t behave,” added Lizzie. 

Lou was evidently reminded of affairs 
in her own home by these remarks for 
she suddenly turned away from Winnie, 
with very wide open eyes. 

“ So does Ned ! ” she exclaimed. '' And 
he said a dreadful thing about us the 
other day. He said we wasn’t Pilgrims, 
hut-we-was- Globe- Trotters ! He and Guy 
Brent said so — both of ’em.” 

This announcement did not have ex- 
actly the effect Lou had expected, for 
even her aunt joined in the laugh which 
followed as she said, Perhaps we are 
Globe-Trotters, little Lou, but you tell 
Ned we are enjoying ourselves wonder- 
fully. I am afraid Ned and the other 
boys would want to run away from our 
party to play ball, or perhaps ride away 
on their wheels, if we let them join us. 


c 



TEMPLE OF IEYx\SU, XIKKO, JAPAN 



STILL IN JAPAN 


65 


but we will try to find a chance for them 
by and by.’^ 

“ I called my wheel a jinrickisha this 
afternoon, and told it to bring me straight 
here,^^ said Persis. 

O Pert, there^s plenty of time to ride 
now before dark. Let^s go out to 
Gordon^s grove for trailing arbutus, 
said Maud, and away ran the two 
friends. 

“ They ride the same wheel,” said Avis 
with a smile. Pert rides a little ways 
and sits down till Maud catches up, and 
then she walks awhile and Maud takes 
the wheel.” 

CanT Maud’s father afford to buy one 
for her ? ” asked Gladys, with a slight curl 
of the lip. 

I’m afraid not. You know Dr. 
Barton isn’t very well off,” replied 
Avis. 

“ I’ve got two,” said Gladys, and then 
she put on her pretty new hat and tripped 
away with faithful Mary Ellen at her 
heels. 

Fiddle-dee-dee ! ” exclaimed Joanna. 


66 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Why can’t we all have horses and car- 
riages and bicycles? Come on, Trudie, 
pilgrims ought to be satisfied if they have 
a pair of good feet.” 


IV 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 

I MUST tell you a funny thing that 
happened the very day after the Pil- 
grims visited idols and temples in 
Japan. The Sunday-school had sung and 
prayer was being offered by the superin- 
tendent, when Lou touched her aunt’s 
arm and whispered softly, Aunt Alice, 
Mr. Dinsmore doesn’t put his hand over 
his eyes or anything. Don’t you think 
he’s engaged in idle worship ? ” 

Why, what do you mean ? ” said Miss 
Gay, somewhat startled. 

I mean he’s idle; just looking at his 
boots. Shouldn’t you think he’d be 
ashamed ? ” 

It was fortunate that Mr. Stebbins said 
Amen ” at that moment, for Miss Gay 
was laughing. 

“ Dear child ! ” she whispered, when 
we talk about idol worship we mean pray- 

67 


68 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


ing to idols. It is very different from 
being idle, — that is, not doing anything. 
Spell ^ idle,’ Lou.” 

I-d-l-e ! ” 

“Now spell idol such as we talked 
about yesterday.” 

But this was beyond the little girl’s 
knowledge, so kind Aunt Alice printed 
it on the edge of her lesson paper, and she 
never made that mistake again. 

While they were reciting their lesson 
Avis said, “ Miss Alice, I can understand 
the Bible a little better, I think, since we 
begun to be Pilgrims. I can seem to see 
the people as they are in other countries, 
and I know a little bit how Paul must 
have felt when he went out amongst the 
heathen.” 

“ And if you are learning that in Japan, 
I am sure you will get a great deal more 
help in the other places we visit,” replied 
Miss Gay. 

“ Our school-teacher thinks we’ve been 
learning something useful,” added Liz- 
zie. “We had Japan in our review the 
other day, and she asked questions that 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


69 


nobody could answer but Lydia and me. 
She said she wondered who told us so 
many things.’^ 

It made Miss Gay very happy to know 
that her girls were learning about the 
great outside world, but there were some 
among her friends who thought she was 
foolish to give her time to them and to 
mission countries. Kate Matthews was 
her very best friend, but Kate had hardly 
been up to see her for two weeks. They 
went out of the church together that day, 
and Miss Gay said, Kate, why haven’t 
you been to see me ? ” 

“ O I thought you might be studying 
your geography lesson or trying to con- 
vert a heathen,” Kate responded with a 
laugh that was not really pleasant. 

“ I give only an hour a day to our Pil- 
grim studies,” responded Alice, and 
Katie, you would be interested I am sure. 
I went to that splendid Mrs. Brigham in 
the other church for books and maga- 
zines, and she lends me everything. 0 
you’ve no idea how much our people are 
losing by shutting out everything about 


70 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


foreign missions. Why, I’m ashamed 
of my ignorance when I find there is so 
much to learn ! ” 

‘ Where ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to 
be wise,’ ” laughed Kate. Of course it’s 
dreadful to have so many heathen in the 
world, — I feel a little uncomfortable over 
it myself when I stumble on to those 
dreadful figures that they put in some of 
the papers, — but I can’t help matters any. 
And why need you begin to work up a 
sentiment in our church ? ” 

Why Katie, I’m not working up a 
sentiment. I’m just taking a round-the- 
world-trip with my little Pilgrims,” said 
Alice. 

Kate shook her head. “You needn’t 
tell me. Your girls are spreading what 
they learn, all about. I dare say those 
infants just ahead of us have heard enough 
to catch the fever.” 

“ O those are Ella Brown’s brothers, 
aren’t they ? ” 

“ Yes, they’re the ^ twinnies.’ I think I 
will ask them if Ella has told them about 
the Panjandrum that eats little boys.” 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


71 


Kate Matthews ! ’’ exclaimed Alice. 
But there was no chance to ask questions, 
for at that moment little Ellis stubbed his 
toe and fell forward heavily. Willis 
helped him up, and discovered a cut upon 
his forehead. Miss Gay tried to soothe 
the little fellow, who was crying lustily. 

It isn’t very bad, dear,” she said. I’m 
so glad it didn’t hit your temple.” 

“ Where’s his temple ? ” asked Willis, 
who was crying to keep his little brother 
company. 

Ellis suddenly checked his sobs and 
looked around indignantly. “ There ain’t 
any temple on my forehead I I ain’t a 
heathen,” he exclaimed. 

There ! there ! what did I tell you ? 
Who put that idea into his small head ? ” 
asked Miss Matthews, triumphantly. 

Ella did,” explained Willis, taking 
his brother’s hand, and walking on so- 
berly, while Ellis began to cry just where 
he had left off. 

Miss Gay only said, Come up and see 
us some Saturday, Kate, and you will 
want to join the company. All you need 


72 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


is a staflP, a wallet, and a willing 
mind/’ 

The next Saturday was a lovely day in 
early May. All over the great hills that 
outlined Rockside, was a light green tint 
which told of myriads of new unsoiled 
leaves. The sky was blue as a robin’s 
egg, and terrace street lawns were green 
and soft. 

Bluebirds and robins were holding an 
afternoon concert in the tall elms before 
Miss Gay’s home, and the Pilgrims 
watched them as they loitered on the 
granite steps. Lou came hopping across 
the lawn from her own home. 

Somebody’s moving into that pretty 
house over there,” said she. 

Next to Miss Gay’s was a stately house 
dressed in gray and green, which had 
stood empty since the death of a certain 
banker. But now, doors were open, 
boxes were being carried in and a colored 
woman in a big white turban was wash- 
ing windows. 

'' I hope there’ll be a little girl,” added 
Lou, 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


73 


“ Did you almost dread to come in out 
of the sunshine?’’ asked Miss Alice as 
they entered the hall. But not a Pil- 
grim would admit that she wished to re- 
main outside. No it was “ nicer ” in that 
cheery dining-room with their beloved 
leader, who appeared to-day in a lovely 
new pink waist. Beside each little girl’s 
patchwork was a great open-eyed pansy, 
such as Miss Alice loved and petted. 

^ Pansies are for thoughts,’ ” she quoted, 

which means that to-day we are to 
think and talk about missions in Japan. 
I have asked Ella to read about their 
beginnings after our opening exer- 
cises.” 

“ There are forty-two million people in 
Japan,” Ella began, “ and it claims to be 
the oldest Empire in the world. In 1549 
Francis Xavier, a famous Jesuit mission- 
ary went there and won a great many to 
the Catholic faith. But his Jesuit helpers 
tried to get control of the government, 
and the Japanese put to death or expelled 
all the Christians they could find. They 
also made a law that no Christian should 


74 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


be bold enough to set foot in Japan ^ as 
long as the sun warmed the earth.’ 

In 1853, Commodore Perry sailed from 
the United States and secured a treaty 
which allowed American ships to go 
there. In 1859 several churches sent 
missionaries to Japan, and in 1872 the 
first native church was formed. Since 
then a good many missionaries have 
gone there, and great progress has been 
made. There are now more than forty 
thousand Protestant Christians which 
is less than one for every thousand 
people.” 

“Now we are ready to show you how 
these missionaries work,” said Miss Gay. 
“ Here are some jolly little kindergart- 
ners in Tokyo. You see it is true in 
Japan as everywhere, that if the very 
little children are rightly educated they 
are more likely to make good men and 
women. So kindergartens have been 
started in various places. What kind of 
people do our missionaries usually work 
among ? ” 

This was a new idea, but after a few 



SOME JOLLY LITTLE KINDERGARTENEKS 







VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


75 


minutes of thought Avis answered, The 
poor people I think/^ 

That is true. Once in a while the 
hearts of the wealthy are touched by the 
blessed Gospel, but much oftener we can 
only work to help lift up those who are 
really in need. There are a great many 
poor people in Japan. Wages are so 
very low that those who draw the jin- 
rickishas and many who do coarse and 
heavy work can hardly support their 
families. From these we get many of 
our scholars, although I think these tots 
are from more comfortable homes.’’ 

They look as plump as robins,” said 
Trudie. 

Here is another kindergarten in Hak- 
odate. They are just ready for a sing- 
ing lesson. When they are taught so 
young they learn to sing very nicely, but 
the real Japanese singing sounds very 
harsh to us. Do you notice the little 
fellow in the teacher’s lap ? He had been 
sick, and the missionary called one day 
to see him and asked what he remem- 
bered of what he had learned at school. 


76 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Then, instead of telling about some game, 
Sayo Chan folded his little hands and re- 
peated the Lord's prayer. 

“The teachers of this kindergarten are 
all Japanese girls who have been edu- 
cated in mission schools, so you see how 
the seed that has been sown has already 
borne fruit. 

“ The government of Japan provides 
good schools in all its large cities, and 
every morning school bells ring, and 
bright boys and girls fill the streets as 
with us." 

“ Then I shouldn't think missionaries 
would need to go there," said Joanna. 

“ There are two reasons, I think, why 
a good many should go just now. Japan, 
in spite of its politeness and its many 
pleasant things is very wicked. It is 
turning away from its idols, to some ex- 
tent, and will be an infidel nation unless 
Christianity saves it. Then again, the 
poor people are so needy. They are the 
ones who get least benefit from the new 
civilization, and most benefit from the 
teachings of Christ and His messengers. 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


77 


So you see it is a critical time in Japan’s 
history, and if we saw it clearly I think 
we would want to help establish Christian 
schools and churches all over the land. 
But would you like to know more about 
these school children ? And what would 
you like to know ? ” 

About their studies,” said Lizzie. 

I’d like to know how they dress 
and what they eat for lunch,” said 
Gladys. 

And I would like to hear more about 
their singing,” added Edith. 

^‘Well, at this time in the year they 
start for school about seven o’clock. They 
carry their books, pens, paper and other 
things nicely wrapped in a large hand- 
kerchief When they reach the school- 
house they slip off their wooden clogs, 
and put on straw sandals. Their writing 
is in Chinese characters, and there are 
about ten thousand of them in constant 
use. So children have to begin early and 
study many years in order to read intel- 
ligently. But in these days there are 
geographies and story books, and in many 


78 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


schools the English language, to learn, so 
they have quite a variety. 

They learn how to use brush, pen and 
pencil very skillfully. They also have a 
kind of history which is largely stories of 
heroes who lived many years ago. This 
is to teach them to be patriotic. During 
the war between Japan and China the 
schoolboys were intensely interested, and 
one of them wrote a letter to a New York 
paper, which I came across yesterday. 
He says, after telling of their sacrifices, 

^ All shouted alikely battle ! Without 
distinction man, woman, and old, young, 
just cry out “ Give free to us unless 
death ! like your noblest ancestors for 
independent, to escape from oppression 
bond. My dear boys and girls of United 
State, show your sympathy to us, because 
a God will give happiness to one who 
help the justice of our cause.’ ” 

I hope they will win all their battles . 
if they feel like that,” said Gladys. I 
shall tell father about that letter.” 

“ These Japanese schools are divided 
into primary, higher primary and middle 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


79 


schools, but the girls can only go to the 
primary. So you see there is another 
reason for Christian girls^ schools. Now 
as to dress, Gladys, the children wear 
their own neat and becoming native dress 
except that many of the boys wear ^ for- 
eign caps,* as they call them. The girls 
go bare-headed as all women and girls do 
in Japan.** 

Oh I ** sighed Joanna, mustn*t that 
be splendid? No fussy, blowy feathers 
and bows ! I just suffer in my new hat.’* 

I hope the Japanese will be wise 
enough not to give up their fashions for 
ours. When it is very cold, I think the 
girls tie a kind of scarf around their 
heads. 

There are some old-fashioned Japanese 
schools, of course, and in those the pupils 
sit on the floor upon mats and have tiny 
tables for desks. When their master 
enters the room, the boys form in line, 
make him a very low bow and wish him 
good-morning. These boys study aloud 
and recite one at a time. Their copy 
books are pieces of paper about a yard 


8o TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


long, and when they have written upon 
them with brushes dipped in India ink, 
they have to hang them up on the walls 
to dry. 

The scholars carry luncheons of cold 
rice with a bit of fish or vegetable which 
they eat at noon with chopsticks. They 
drink tea instead of water, and every 
schoolhouse has a place to boil the water.” 

O the funny things ! Mamma wonT 
let me drink the least speck of tea,” said 
Lou. 

Perhaps the little Japs arenT nervous 
like us Americans,” remarked Ella, 
wisely. 

Edith wanted to know about their 
singing. The children are very fond of 
it, and as I have told you, they have 
borrowed some of our patriotic tunes. 
But to hear singing that you would en- 
joy you must go to the mission schools. 
Here they have the best teachers, and 
learn how to play and sing like girls here 
at home. Look at the bright faces in 
this picture, and I am sure you will be- 
lieve it. 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


8i 


Our missionaries teach the girls to be 
heroic Christians ; not only to love their 
country but to love Christ best of all. 

Many and many a poor neglected girl 
has been saved and has grown to be 
beautiful and useful, who would have 
been sold to a sad and wicked life but for 
the missionaries. Several of these nice 
Japanese students have already been in 
this country to finish their education, 
and have gone back to teach. 

“ Here is a picture of the nurse-girls^ 
school in Hirosaki. Will you please 
point out that city on the map? Yes, 
it is in the north where they have cold 
winters. Well, the missionaries found 
up there many little girls whose parents 
were very poor, and who were ^ hired 
out ’ to carry other people^s babies upon 
their backs. They could not go to school, 
and were growing up perfectly ignorant. 
So a school was started for them. 

At first the little nurses brought the 
babies, but as this was rather disturbing, 
when they began to learn they would 
manage to get an hour for themselves. 


82 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


and then how they would study ! They 
soon learned to read and write and to 
sing. They also learned to sew, and 
those girls at the left of the picture are 
holding up the cloth on which they have 
been trying to make even and pretty 
stitches.’^ 

The Pilgrims suddenly became in- 
terested in their patchwork, and Joanna 
paused to pick out a few long stitches. 

“ Here is another picture of a Chris- 
tian Japanese family. They are all 
Christians, the missionary writes, even 
to the little boy in his mother’s lap. 
One day some one asked him whose dear 
child he was, and he quickly replied, ‘ I 
am God’s dear child ! ’ Now girls, no 
boy or girl in Japan would ever think of 
saying, ‘ I am Buddha’s dear child ! ’ 
No, it is our religion of love and of 
purity which will give Japan happy 
homes. Some time you may know bet- 
ter than I can tell you now, what it 
means for a Japanese woman to know 
that her husband is a true Christian. 

''But before we leave Japan I must 



A NURSE GIRLS’ SCHOOL 







VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


83 


show you some Bible women and tell 
you what they do. These are at work in 
the northern part of the country, and are 
in their winter costume. These women 
— and many others — go out into heathen 
homes and read the Bible and pray with 
the poor and the blind and sick, — 
wherever they find an open door. They 
help the missionaries and native pastors 
in school and church work and receive 
but very little money for their services. 
Some of them have worked bravely to 
help build little churches. And what do 
you suppose they and the other Christian 
women do to earn money ? 

“ I canT guess, for you haven’t told us 
of any work that women do except to 
keep house and fix bouquets and paint 
pictures,” said Avis. 

True enough ! I think there are 
hardly any trades for women. The very 
poor women outside the cities help take 
care of the rice fields, but I am sure there 
are but few ways for them to earn money. 
But these Christians began to make book 
marks which were sent to America and 


84 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


sold. Mrs. Brigham told me about it, and 
said they had built their ^ book-mark 
church,’ with the help of the missionary. 
That was in the old city of Nagoya.” 

“ I like the Japanese people,” said Avis 
thoughtfully. It seems to me they are 
a good deal like us, and it seems very 
strange that they can worship idols when 
they are so bright.” 

‘‘Just what I think,” agreed Ella. 
“ And I think I would like to give our 
two patchwork dollars to send a little 
Japanese girl to a kindergarten.” 

“ I would rather help those poor women 
build churches. Then the people would 
know that there’s something better than 
pain-gods and other dreadful images.” 

“ Wouldn’t it be best to write to a mis- 
sionary, Miss Alice, and see what needs 
doing most? ” 

“ Dear girls,” and there was a little 
tremble in her voice, “ how perfectly nat- 
ural it is to want to help when we know 
about things. But we won’t decide to- 
day. Next week we shall be in China, 
and see what needs doing there. But 


VISIT MISSION SCHOOLS 


85 


have you noticed that our patchwork is 
almost finished ? Gran’ma Hunter is 
ready to pay for the work, and has more 
for us if we are willing to do it.’^ 

^‘What is it? I move that we do,’^ 
said Joanna. 

Miss Alice’s eyes twinkled as she looked 
around the circle. 

Carpet rags,” she said. 


V 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 

T welve little red boxes stood on 
the dining table, and a big basket 
in front of it when the Pilgrims 
came into the room the next Saturday, 
after removing macintoshes and rubbers in 
the hall. For it was raining in a steady 
businesslike way, as if it meant to moisten 
the earth clear down where seeds had 
been planted, to help them grow. 

“What in the world?” and Edith 
pointed at boxes and basket. 

“ Please, Miss Alice, can I have a needle 
and some blue thread ? Pert has torn her 
dress,” said Maud. 

“ Part cotton, isn’t it? It doesn’t pay 
to buy cheap goods, does it? ” and Gladys 
seated herself, shaking out her pretty 
plaid gown complacently. 

“ It isn’t — it wasn’t cheap ! ” cried Per- 
sia, her cheeks growing red and hot. “ My 
86 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 87 


mother paid seventy-five cents a yard, and 
it^s good enough for a school-dress, so 
now ! 

“ I didn’t say it wasn’t. I suppose it’s 
a matter of taste.” 

Mary Ellen giggled as she did at every- 
thing Gladys said. Pert tears her 
clothes so much she can’t afford very good 
ones,” said she. 

Don’t say anything, Mary Ellen Fair- 
brother ! ” sputtered Persis. Perhaps if 
I had dresses given me to make over I 
might have better ones.” 

This hit Mary Ellen, whose stepmother 
had rich relatives who helped furnish the 
family wardrobe. 

Girls ! ” exclaimed Miss Gay, placing 
a warning hand upon Mary Ellen’s shoul- 
der, “ are we going to bring the storm in- 
doors ? We are peaceable Pilgrims, and 
here we are, ready to take China ! Mrs. 
Brigham has sent over these dear little 
mite boxes to catch the stray pennies at 
your homes, and each one is to see what 
can be done to help others by denying 
ourselves the things we do not need. 


88 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Then here are Grandma Hunter^s carpet 
rags. She has paid the two dollars for 
patchwork, and will pay ten cents a ball 
for all we will cut and sew and wind of 
these rags.’^ 

I think rags are dirty, and my mother 
wouldn’t like to have me touch them,” 
said Gladys.” 

These are not dirty. Gran’ma Hunter 
has had them beaten and washed ; — all 
these coats and trousers are nicely cleaned. 
It means a little effort on our part, but 
we are working to send the Light ; — and 
we are ‘ forget-me-nots,’ aren’t we? ” 

Miss Gay brought an apron to tie over 
Gladys’ pretty dress, and they were soon 
busily at work with scissors and needles, 
some cutting the strips, some sewing them 
together, and others winding them. 

‘‘Now while we work Avis is going to 
show us the way into China and tell us a 
few things that we ought to know about 
the big family we shall find there,” said 
Miss Gay. 

Avis took the pointer and showed on 
the map how one could sail from Japan 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 89 


to Foochow, and then she read a paper 
which she had carefully prepared. 

^^We have now reached the great Chi- 
nese Empire, said to contain almost four 
hundred million people, more than six 
times as many as live in the United 
States. The capital is Peking, and the 
Emperor and Empress Dowager live there. 
He is a Tartar, because China was con- 
quered in 1644, by the Tartars. The 
people are Mongolians or yellow skinned, 
and they are short and stout. They have 
high cheek bones, rather flat noses and 
thick lips, small black eyes and black hair. 
The men and boys shave the front of 
their heads, and wear their hair braided 
in a long queue behind. Little girls 
arrange their hair in funny braids, and 
tie them with red silk strings. Women 
twist the hair high and wear ornamental 
pins and flowers in it. Men and women 
dress quite a good deal alike, in loose 
trousers and double-breasted tunics, which 
often reach below the knee. Poor people 
wear black or dark blue cotton garments, 
but the rich ones have silks and beautiful 


90 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


embroideries. Here in China is where lit- 
tle girls have their feet bound, but I did 
not find out how it is done. The people 
are fond of learning, but the men do not 
think girls and women have any minds 
or souls, so they do not let them go to 
school.” 

Horrid things ! ” exclaimed Joanna, 
who was cutting brass buttons off from an 
old army overcoat. “If I lived over 
there then I’d let them know I could 
learn as well as a boy.” 

And then a very queer thing hap- 
pened. There was an explosive boy’s 
laugh heard in the back parlor, and Miss 
Gay quickly drew the portiere, and be- 
hold ! three boys, — Ned Leslie, Charlie 
Wheeler and Sam Taylor, were exposed 
to view. 

“ It rained. Aunt Alice, and we 
wanted to hear what the Globe-Trotters 
said,” explained Ned, his face very red 
and his eyes full of pleading. 

“ Please let ’em stay. Aunt Alice,” added 
Lou, “ Ned wants to ever so bad, and then 
he’ll know once for all.” 



THE W0]\1EN WEAR ORNAMENTAL PINS AND FLOWERS 




4 





« 




t 




V 






•,f , - 


> 








* 


I 


4 




I 



f I 



k 


i 


I 




1 


« 


I 




4 

4 





- 1 


f 


* •, 


I 


*> 







i 


I 




4 


4 

» • 


V 



y 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 91 


^‘Well, girls/^ and Miss Gay turned 
to the surprised group, ‘V these young 
burglars ask the privilege of listening 
while we talk. Shall we let them 
stay ? 

“Yes, ma’am, only make ’em pay a 
fine,” responded Persis. 

“And help cut carpet rags,” added 
Avis. 

Out of pockets well filled with stringy 
lead pencils, bits of chalk and a variety 
of other useful articles, some pennies 
were finally selected to pay the fine. 

“ Let’s put them in Lou’s mite box, be- 
cause she’s littlest,” Ella suggested. 

“ I’ll give you a nickel if you’ll give 
me those buttons you’re cutting off,” said 
Sam Taylor, with a nod towards Persis. 

“ What for ? What you going to do 
with ’em ? ” asked the other boys. 

“ Collection. You see such things ’re 
growing rare, and I’ve got some scrip 
money and confederate money, and O, 
lots of things.” 

“ Have you any Chinese money ? ” in- 
quired Miss Gay, “ because Mrs. Brigham 


92 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


has given me ten of their cash to sell. 
Three cents will buy one.’^ 

Sam’s eyes glistened, and he began 
to search his pockets through again. 
Finally he sold a pencil sharpener to 
Ned for the lacking cent, and laid his 
Chinese cash beside the army buttons 
with great satisfaction. 

All were interested in examining the 
dark bits of money, each with a square 
hole in the middle, and the other boys 
bought some to begin a collection,” as 
that seemed the thing to do. 

The Chinese carry their money to 
market in strings, hung over their shoul- 
ders,” Miss Alice explained. It takes 
eleven cash to equal in value one of 
our cents, so, when a great many are 
to be taken from one point to another, 
a donkey carries the load. Mrs. Brig- 
ham has a cash that was made be- 
fore the Christian era. The age can be 
told by the dynasty, whose mark is on 
the money. But Avis, dear, you had not 
finished your paper.” 

“ There is only a little more,” and she 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 93 


finished by reading, The climate of 
China varies like our own. The scenery 
in some parts is very beautiful. They 
manufacture a great deal of silk, and 
raise tea which is a source of considerable 
wealth. I think it would be interesting 
to trace the life of a boy and a girl for 
one thing, that we may learn how they 
really live.’’ 

A very good idea. Avis, and just in 
line with my thought. Here are pictures 
of the tea plant, and here are the babies. 
This is a winter cradle, — some like an old 
fashioned churn, — and he stands in it 
until he is strong enough to walk. Here 
is another baby, and here is still another. 
I have a bit to read to you about the 
small Chinese. ^ There is great joy when 
a boy baby is born in China. Congratu- 
lations and presents are sent, and many 
bunches of fire crackers are exploded. 
The name given may be Little Stupid, 
Vagabond, or even Little Sister if the 
parents are very proud of him, for they 
think they can deceive the evil spirits by 
giving the baby such a name, so they 


94 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


will not harm him. When he is a month 
old an important ceremony takes place. 
A barber is called and his head is shaved. 
There is a feast, and his grandmother 
comes hobbling in upon her tiny feet to 
present a cap for his little bare head. 
Around the rim are figures of Buddha’s 
disciples who will keep away evil. When 
he is a year old there is another feast, 
and he is given a pair of shoes with cats’ 
heads embroidered upon the toes, that he 
may be sure footed like pussy. The great 
event of the day is when he is placed at 
a table upon which are emblems of va- 
rious occupations. There is a mandarin’s 
button and necklace, an inkslab and pens, 
books and many other things. If the 
baby grasps a book or writing materials 
the friends rejoice, for that means he is to 
be a literary man. When he is six years 
old he is sent to school, after the fortune 
teller has decided that it is a lucky day ” 
for him to begin.’ Ned, will you read 
about his school days? ” 

Ned was thirteen years old, and was 
very careful not to do anything that be- 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 95 


longed to a little boy, but he was fond of 
Aunt Alice, and really interested to know 
about Chinese schoolboys, so he took the 
paper willingly and read. 

‘ Foh Kung, which means Root of 
Happiness, has his hair braided in one 
long plait which hangs down his back. 
He wears a light blue cotton sack with 
big wide sleeves into which he puts his 
treasures, full loose trousers, shoes with 
white soles an inch thick, and carries his 
books wrapped up in a strip of cloth. He 
is taken to school by his father or some 
friend, and is taught to worship at the 
tablet of Confucius, which hangs upon 
the wall. Then he kneels and bows low 
to his future teacher, knocking his head 
upon the floor. After considerable cere- 
mony the boy is placed upon a high stool 
beside a desk and his education begins. 
He is first taught to make Chinese char- 
acters on squares of red paper. When 
little Root of Happiness is learning his 
lessons he shouts them aloud, as do all 
the other boys in school, making a great 
din. He recites alone, and stands with 


96 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


his back to the teacher. This is called 
^ backing the book.’ When lunch time 
comes, he eats his cold rice and drinks 
his bowl of hot tea, for the teacher sees 
that there is plenty of hot water in the 
great pewter tea pot on his desk so that 
all may have their tea. Root of Happi- 
ness learns by heart the precepts of Con- 
fucius, who was a great Chinese philos- 
opher. He can commit to memory much 
better than an American schoolboy, but 
he does not know how to use his reason 
nearly as well.’ Well, Aunt Alice, they 
must be a queer lot, those Chinese school- 
boys, but they seem to have fairly good 
times.” 

These boys come from the better class, 
Ned, but thousands of poor people in 
China cannot do as much as this for 
their children. Still, the boys are so 
much better off than the girls that they 
may be considered fortunate.” 

At that moment Persis uttered a cry, 
and all eyes were turned upon her. 

Miss Alice, it’s a ten dollar bill — sewed 
inside this old army coat ! ” she exclaimed 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 97 


excitedly, holding out a paper which had 
been folded small and flat. 

“Is it good? Will Gran’ma Hunter 
want it ? “ Has it been there ever since 

the war?’^ they inquired, and Sam re- 
marked, as they all crowded close around 
the table, 

“ Probably her husband put it there to 
keep it from the Rebs, and forgot all 
about it.’’ 

“ It was sewed in ever so nice,” said 
Persis. 

“ It’s a ’63 bill,” added Ned. 

“ We will send it to Gran’ma Hunter 
and see if she ever knew about it. Yes, 
it is hers of course,” said Miss Gay. 

It was Sam who volunteered to run 
down the hill at once with it, and, taking 
an umbrella, he dashed away through the 
rain. 

It was not many minutes before he was 
back again, explaining breathlessly that 
she never would have found it, and the 
Pilgrims should have it for their very 
own. Then there was great rejoicing ! 

“ We won’t give this up for the church 


98 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


debt, will we ? said Joanna, whose father 
had never felt easy, lest the girls should 
in some way raise a little money for the 
heathen. 

“No, this is our very own, and I can- 
not help feeling that our dear heavenly 
Father put us in the way to find it so 
that we might do something very soon 
for His poor little children. Before we 
get through with China we shall see 
how much the money is needed over 
there. 

“ Aunt Alice, how do you find out all 
these things to tell us ? She looked at 
Ned with a bright smile. 

“ You know I am leading the Pil- 
grims, and must study the route myself. 
Mrs. Brigham helps me, and she has a 
nephew in China whose letters to her are 
full of interest. It is like looking through 
a telescope, Ned, — this using other peo- 
ple’s eyes.” 

Each child had now examined the 
precious bill and it was finally given to 
Maud Barton, who slipped it into her 
little silk bag, which was the Pilgrim’s 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 99 


wallet, with the two dollars from the 
patchwork. 

“ I believe that bill would fetch a high 
price if folks knew it went through the 
war,’^ said Sam, it’s a sixty-three bill.” 

Miss Gay said she would inquire and 
perhaps they might get a premium. 

Then Charlie asked what finally be- 
came of Root of Happiness,” which 
brought them back to China. 

0, he wants to be a literary man, so 
instead of learning a trade he keeps on 
studying until he is ready for the exam- 
inations. There are three of these, open 
to every Chinaman, and hundreds try to 
pass, for if they do, then they can secure 
government office or employment, and 
wear a yellow robe presented by the Em- 
peror. Of course Root of Happiness does 
pass, gets his yellow robe and becomes a 
great man.” 

Now tell about the little China girl. 
Aunt Alice,” said Lou who was busily 
employed handing strips of cloth to the 
winders. 

0 Lou, it is too sad to tell about, but 
LofC. 


100 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


the Chinese fathers and mothers think 
it is a dreadful thing if a little girl comes 
into the home. They often drown her, 
or throw her away.’^ 

Lou’s eyes were very large as she fixed 
them wonderingly upon her aunt’s face. 

I guess you’re p’tending. I think 
they’d get hung if they su’cided their 
own little girls.” 

This was one of the times when Miss 
Gay felt very anxious to explain what a 
terrible thing heathenism is. She looked 
around. Some of the girls were whisper- 
ing, and Joanna was playing cats-cradle 
with her Cousin Sam. Would they un- 
derstand ? Could she make them care ? 
But there were Lou’s questioning eyes, 
and she said slowly, No Lou, they 
wouldn’t get hung. There are no laws 
in China to protect women and girls. 
The parents can destroy their children if 
they want to. A man can beat his wife 
every day if he feels like it, or he can 
drive her away entirely from his home. 
A man can sell his wife or children and 
nobody stops him.” 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA loi 


“ Great country that must be to live 
in/^ said Sam, still busy with the cats- 
cradle. Why doesn’t somebody give 
them better laws ? ” 

The laws will come with Christian 
civilization, Sam,” responded Miss Gay. 

It is the Golden Rule that is going to 
reform China. But the little girls who 
live, have a dreadful sad life. Can any 
of you tell me why ? ” 

As she spoke Miss Alice took from her 
work-basket a tiny embroidered shoe 
about three inches long. 

O yes ! ” said Avis, they have their 
feet bound and wear those little shoes.” 

It isn’t large enough for our baby ! ” 
said Trudie sceptically. 

What makes ’em do it anyway ? ” in- 
quired Ned. 

Because it has been done for hundreds 
of years, and the people have learned to 
think that the ‘ golden lilies ’ as they 
call them are very beautiful. When the 
little girl is about six years old, her 
mother or some professional foot-binder, 
takes the child and presses the four small 


102 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


toes under the foot, binding them 
tightly with a long strip of cloth. The 
heel is also brought forward and bound, 
so that the whole foot is the shape of a 
pear, with the large toe for the small 
end.^^ 

Lou^s face had grown more and more 
serious. DoesnT it hurt awfully, Aunt 
Alice 

Yes, dear, the little girls cry and cry, 
night and day ; but after a long, long 
time the foot is dead and they can hobble 
around a little, wearing these tiny shoes, 
which really cover only the great toe and 
what remains of the shrunken heel.’’ 

I wouldn’t, wouldnH do it ! ” said 
Persis defiantly. 

You couldn’t run. Pert, if you lived 
in China, and then perhaps you wouldn’t 
tear your dresses,” said Maud with a sly 
glance at the newly mended rent. 

I don’t care ! If they tried to bind 
my feet they’d be sorry.” 

Remember, dear, that a child six 
years old is helpless, and there is no law 
to appeal to. Don’t you begin to see 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 103 


what a terrible thing it is to be born in a 
heathen country ? 

There was something in Miss Gay’s 
voice that made the children stop and 
think. Yes, it must he terrible, but it 
was so impossible to think of themselves as 
shut in, ignorant, cramped and help- 
less ! 

Many little girls die from the foot- 
binding who might be saved if the native 
doctors knew how to take care of them. 
But they do not. They might give them 
medicine to take made of very filthy 
things, to cure an aching foot or beat 
gongs and drums to drive away the evil 
spirit that causes pain. So the poor 
little things die, and are carried away in 
a cart and put into a place built outside 
of the village.” 

But couldn’t the mish’naries take 
care of ’em ? ” Lou inquired. 

Yes, they do save a few ; but you see 
there are so few missionaries. Don’t you 
feel as if we must save all we can to help 
send more ? ” 

Yes’m and I’m going to. I’ve made 


104 twelve little PILGRIMS 


a restolution that I will/’ and Lou 
nodded her curly head very decidedly. 

Now, children, haven’t you questions 
to ask ? ” 

“Yes’m, I’d like to know about the 
opium. You see the Chinese in this 
country make lots of trouble with that,” 
said Charlie. 

“ Well, when we go to India we shall 
see fields of poppies growing, for you 
know opium comes from poppy heads. 
The English government buys the crop, 
makes the opium into the form that the 
Chinese like best, and sells it to them at 
an immense profit. It is said that the 
Chinese buy more than a hundred 
million dollars worth every year. And 
when a man once gets the habit of using 
it, he will sell his home, his business, his 
wife and his children to buy it.” 

It’s almost worse than alcohol, isn’t 
it ? Our teacher talks about that ; — I tell 
you she can make you see your brains 
burn up. I guess if old Tremble had 
heard her he never would have been a 
drunkard,” said Sam, 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 105 


“ Old Tremble was a man whom all 
the children knew. He was a shaking 
wreck, haunting saloons, and drinking 
without restraint. 

And if he hadnT been a drunkard 
he might have been the smartest lawyer 
in ten counties, my father says so,^^ added 
Charlie. 

Ned had been turning over the pictures 
upon the table. “ Oh ! here’s a Peking 
gate ! What about Peking, Aunt Alice ? 
That’s the capital city and away up 
north, isn’t it ? ” 

Yes, you have all seen it on your 
school maps. Surely we must visit Pe- 
king, but it is such a very dirty city I ad- 
vise you to put your handkerchiefs to 
your noses. Do you notice that jagged 
line like a barbed wire fence on the map ? 
Yes, that is it, Ned. That represents the 
Great Wall, and you may read this little 
description of it.” 

This is what he read : “ The Chinese 
wall, numbered with the wonders of the 
world, is from fifteen to twenty feet high, 
and fifteen feet wide at the top. It is 


io6 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


about fifteen hundred miles long. It is 
built of reddish brown rock and masonry. 
It has huge watch towers, where signal 
fires were kindled to warn the people 
when enemies came near. It was finished 
about 200 B. c., and protected the nation 
for many centuries against the Tartars 
and other northern tribes.” 

Of course it couldn’t stand our can- 
non,” said Sam, but prob’ly those peo- 
ple used bows and arrows or spears. I’d 
like to see it all the same. My ! what 
armies of men it must have took to build 
it.” 

“ But Aunt Alice, does the Great Wall 
go ’round Peking ? ” asked Ned. 

No, but Peking is a walled city : — 
there are seventeen hundred cities with 
walls and gates in China. But the capi- 
tal has not only one but four walls, divid- 
ing it really into four cities. The first 
one is the Chinese city, and the next is 
the Tartar city. Inside of that is the Im- 
perial city, and within that the Forbidden 
city in which the emperor lives.” 

O mustn’t he feel as safe as a bug in 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 107 


a rug with so many walls around him I 
said Joanna. 

You don’t remember how the Emperor 
and Empress Dowager and all their serv- 
ants ran away during the Boxer rebellion, 
do you ? I have been expecting some of 
you would ask about the Peking siege,” 
said Miss Alice. 

Why, sure ! ” Ned exclaimed. Papa 
used to read about the Boxers, and the 
missionaries. But say. Aunt Alice, it 
seems different to have it in the daily. 
But it is this very same Peking of course. 
How did it begin ? ” 

“ It began with secret societies of Chi- 
nese who hated foreigners and began to 
persecute them. The Buddhist priests 
made them believe that, if they fought 
against Christians, they themselves would 
not be hurt at all. They grew in 
numbers, and in ferocity, and began 
to kill missionaries and native Chris- 
tians. Finally, they surrounded Pek- 
ing and Tientsin, while inside the 
walls were ever so many officials from 
other countries, and missionaries and 


io8 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


native Christians admission school- 
girls/’ 

“ Chinese girls with little bound feet? ” 
questioned Gladys. 

“ Chinese girls, but they couldn’t have 
bound feet in the mission school. These 
people stayed for six long weeks in 
Peking, while the Boxers raged outside 
the walls. They were kept safe, and 
finally escaped, but outside the city a 
great many missionaries and native 
Christians were killed. This was dur- 
ing the summer of 1900, but the Boxers 
still make a great deal of trouble for 
the missionaries. Don’t you think we 
ought to remember them and pray for 
them? ” 

Yes, and for the China girls and boys 
too,” said Lou, who had been taking in the 
story. I’m going to pray as hard as ever I 
can, and tell people how they ought to 
help.” 

Sam drew a long breath as he took up 
another picture. He did not want to 
show how much he pitied the mission- 
aries, so he read in a loud tone— A 


THE PILGRIMS VISIT CHINA 109 


Peking cart ! Is that the sort of hack the 
Chinese have ? ” 

“ Perhaps we will hire a cart and a don- 
key for our next ride/’ said Miss Alice. 

I’d rather ride in a jinrickisha, with 
a kind bare-legged man that can talk, to 
draw it,” said Lou. 

The boys laughed, but the girls sur- 
veyed them in a superior way. 

She knows what she’s talking about, 
and so would you, if you had been with 
us when we were travelling in Japan,” 
explained Joanna. 

What’s it about, next time ? ” inquired 
Sam, in a would-be careless tone. 

“ Why, about China of course. We 
haven’t visited a temple nor a mission 
yet.” 

Can’t we come in. Aunt Alice, if we’ll 
be ever so quiet ? ” asked Ned. 

It depends upon the weather. If it 
rains we must let you in surely. If the 
sun shines I suspect we couldn’t persuade 
you to stay indoors.” 

''Yes, you could; now honest,” said 
the boys. 


no TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Say, Miss Alice, if I can find a man 
that will pay extra for that ten dollar 
bill will you sell it ? Sam inquired. 

“ Yes, indeed, Sam, we believe in 
adding all we honestly can to our Lord’s 
money.” 

It was still raining, but in a fitful way 
as if the sunset light might shine 
through, when the merry children 
trooped down the hill. Their voices 
were full of music, and as Miss Gay 
stood in the bay window looking and 
listening there was a very tender ex- 
pression in her eyes. She was tired, but 
not more so than many a traveller who 
goes alone ” ! 


VI 


IDOL TEMPLES AND MISSION SCHOOLS 

ND the next Saturday it rained 



again ! A school picnic had been 


^ planned and the Pilgrims had 
sent regrets and excuses to Miss Gay. 
But after a week of charming June 
weather, a thunder-storm came rolling 
along over Rockside, flashing and grum- 
bling as thunder-storms will and then 
settling into a steady down-pour. It did 
not care a drop for lunch baskets that 
were tearfully unpacked, nor for picnic 
dresses hung away. 

'' It isn’t half as bad as it would be if 
we couldn’t go to Miss Alice’s,” said Lydia 
to Lizzie as they stood at the farmhouse 
window. They did not mind the rain, 
and were surprised when their brother 
Charlie offered to drive in with Brown 
Betty and take them to the meeting. 
Before he left them he announced that 


HI 


112 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


perhaps he might drop in for a minute 
if the other boys were there. Master 
Charlie dropped in for a full hour ! 

Lou stood in the dining-room window 
watching, as the umbrellas came bobbing 
up the hill, and greeted every one with 
sparkling eyes and the whispered an- 
nouncement, “ There’s a mish’nary in 
the parlor with Aunt Alice, and he’s 
going to tell us lots o’ things ! ” 

Sure enough, Mrs. Brigham’s nephew, 
home on a brief furlough, was visiting 
her for a few days and had cheerfully 
consented to talk to the Pilgrims. 

The children were much surprised to 
see a young man with brown hair and 
mustache, and eyes full of good nature. 

Whew ! ” said Sam, as he wedged 
himself into the corner beside Ned and 
Charlie, “he looks just like anybody. I 
thought he’d look pale, and sober, and 
sort of chopped up as if the natives had 
been after him.” 

“ Ho ! they’re not cannibals in China,” 
Ned responded. 

But now came the opening exercises, 


IDOL TEMPLES 


113 


with song and responsive reading and 
prayer, followed by Avis Brent’s report 
which was always worth listening to. 
Maud gave her report also in which 
ten dollars sewed under the lining of 
an old army overcoat,” was an important 
item. 

Sam arose as soon as she sat down. 
Madam President — or Miss Alice, if 
you please, I’ve found a man that’ll pay 
twelve dollars for that bill. He is in the 
Grand Army. He said he thought all 
the old blue overcoats had been put in 
carpets and rugs long ago. He said he 
knew Mr. Hunter when they was boys in 
the Army. He said to tell you if he was 
rich he’d give more.” 

The Pilgrims voted unanimously to 
thank Sam Taylor and the man he had 
“ found,” and the precious bill was 
handed over to Sam. 

Then Mr. Brigham who had appeared 
greatly interested in all this was intro- 
duced and said, “ Miss Gay tells me you 
want to know about temples and idols 
and mission schools in China. So I will 


114 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


talk right along as I think of things to 
tell you, and if you wish to ask a ques- 
tion you may do so any minute. You 
girls must ride to-day in sedan chairs. 
These are rattan chairs with arms, and 
poles fastened to the arms extending each 
way. At the ends of the poles are short 
cross pieces of wood fastening them to- 
gether. The chair has a square top and 
curtains all around. When used for a 
bride it is decorated with red. The 
coolies who carry these chairs will pick 
them up, place the cross pieces on their 
shoulders and trot away.’^ 

“ ’Most like our nice ’rick’sha men,” 
whispered Lou. 

Perhaps the boys will like to ride 
horseback. The saddle looks like a big 
red bag filled with cotton, and there are 
gay embroidered side pieces. Now the 
streets are full of queer sights. Here you 
see a lunch stand where for a few cash a 
man can buy enough rice for a meal. 
There is a barber, ready to attend to cus- 
tomers right in the street, and just beyond 
are some fruit peddlers, — their baskets 



TWO BASKETS FULL 







IDOL TEMPLES 


115 


hung on either end of a pole and the pole 
across their shoulder. I once saw a man 
carrying two children to school in that 
way. 

“ Here is a cobbler. He, too, has a 
bamboo pole and baskets, — or rather his 
shoe tub and tray, and his basket of tools 
and leather for mending. He is usually 
kept busy, for the Chinese are very eco- 
nomical, and have their shoes and all 
their clothing mended as long as patches 
can hold them together. But do you see 
that man hastening along calling, ^ Ah- 
long, lai-lai ; — Ah-long, lai-lai ^ ? He 
thinks that one of his child’s three souls 
has got lost and he is out calling it, be- 
cause until it returns the child will be 
sick. Do you notice how very poor and 
mean the houses are that we are passing ? 
The poor people in China, — and there are 
millions of them — don’t know what real 
home comforts are. They never will as 
long as they are idolaters. But now we 
are coming to the temples. This big 
stone tower at the corner is called a pa- 
goda. It has eight sides, and there are 


ii6 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


stone steps inside leading to the top. 
Now we come to a large stone arch and 
will leave our chairs and horses here. In 
the first pavilion you see men eating. 
They buy all sorts of food of peddlers who 
carry their kitchens around on their 
shoulders. 

“ Now we will go up this stone walk to 
the temple. On the sides you see there 
are low buildings in which the priests 
live. These priests have no hair, and on 
the tops of some of their heads are strange 
looking scars. You see the priest wants 
to be ‘ Buddha’s brother,’ so he has live 
coals put on his head to show how well 
he can bear pain. They all wear gray 
and yellow robes fastened around them 
as a sheet might be, and their faces are 
neither pleasant nor kind. 

Inside the temple are idols, idols, 
idols ! Big idols, little idols, standing and 
sitting. In front of the big idols are tables 
for burning incense. When the worship 
hour comes, the priests all go in. One 
man rings a bell, and they kneel and 
knock their heads on the floor, nine times 


IDOL TEMPLES 


117 


for each thing they pray for. They march, 
too, and chant ^ Amita, Amita,’ over and 
over. That is the name of the laughing 
Buddha. In every Buddhist temple we 
find the ^ Three Precious Ones.’ They 
are usually eighteen or twenty feet high 
and are covered with gilt. The people 
worship these idols very faithfully, but 
it does not make them good or 
happy.” 

Are all the Chinese Buddhists?” in- 
quired Ned. 

'‘No, very many worship Confucius, 
and there are fifteen hundred temples in 
China where offerings are made to him. 
Then there is Taoism. This is a kind of 
demon-worship, and has many idols. But 
no matter what idols a Chinaman has, he 
believes in ancestral worship, which 
means worshipping his father, grand- 
father and so on. In every home is the 
ancestral tablet before which incense is 
burned morning and evening. Every 
spring there is a great festival when food 
and wine are offered, and paper clothing 
and furniture and money are burned.” 


ii8 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“ Ho ! do they have ^ money to burn ^ 
in China?’’ asked Ned. 

“ Yes, literally,” said Mr. Brigham 
with a laugh. “ They imagine that their 
fathers and grandfathers need money to 
spend and clothing to wear in the other 
world, and that by burning the imitation 
they will be supplied with the real. You 
see your Chinese brothers and sisters have 
very lively imaginations ! In this picture 
of ancestral worship, which must be the 
work of a native artist, the tablets are 
those two white objects shaped like grave 
stones, in the case. The black spots upon 
them give the ancestor’s name, his title if 
he had one, and the name of the Emperor 
in whose reign he lived. This is a very 
expensive kind of worship. A man will 
spend a fourth of his income in a 
year.” 

And how many Christians grudge giv- 
ing a tenth for Christian work,” said Miss 
Alice. 

Yes, and we must remember, too, that 
a Chinaman, at best, earns but little. An 
ordinary man who gets a hundred and 


IDOL TEMPLES 


119 


fifty dollars a year to support his family 
is thought to be fortunate/’ 

My ! ” exclaimed Sam, I should 
think they’d strike.” 

They would only hurt themselves if 
they did. You see China is very differ- 
ent from America. But I see Miss Gay 
has a picture of the Goddess of Mercy. 
She is very popular, and is much wor- 
shipped by parents. She has a thousand 
hands and a thousand feet, they say.” 

I guess my mother wishes she could 
have as many some days,” remarked 
Joanna. 

Perhaps you might give her yours, 
and that would be a beginning,” said Mr. 
Brigham, kindly, and for some reason 
Joanna remembered that longer than any- 
thing else he said. 

But let me tell you, children,” he 
continued, although the Chinese are 
devout, and although they have a rev- 
erence for parents that is in some in- 
stances praiseworthy, their religion is 
one of fear and fate. They think evil 
spirits are watching them constantly and 


20 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


are always ready to injure them. ^ It is 
my fate/ is a common expression. Here 
is a picture that illustrates what I mean. 
This man that you see prostrate on his 
face has a sick child, I presume, at home. 
He comes to the temple, buys some in- 
cense of the priest, who sets it burning in 
the urn. The servant shakes that bamboo 
tube until one of the sticks falls out. 
Then the priest, ^ all shaven and shorn, ^ 
will write a number on the stick and 
draw a paper which corresponds with that 
number. This paper will decide the fate 
of the poor sick boy. For you may be 
sure it is a boy. No matter about the 
girls. They are unwelcome and the par- 
ents cry ‘ Hard fate ! hard fate ! ^ when 
one is born.” 

Little Lou clasped her hands. That^s 
why we have to be the ones to send ^em 
mish^naries, ’cause they’re girls like 
us.” 

It was a new idea to her, and she 
thought of it many times after that. 

''You have told us about the idols in 
the temples. Do the Chinese people have 


IDOL TEMPLES 


121 


them in their homes, too ? Avis in- 

quired. 

‘^Yes, indeed. Always an ancestral 
tablet and a kitchen god, if no more. 
Here is a kitchen god that was given me 
by a man who became a Christian.” 

Mr. Brigham unfolded a large sheet of 
paper upon which were red, blue, yellow 
and black figures. The centre was occu- 
pied by the god and goddess with a table 
before them covered with offerings, while 
the remaining space was filled with serv- 
ants, domestic animals, etc. 

They call him Chan Kung, and burn 
incense before him at various times during 
the year. Then on the twelfth month 
they think he goes to a greater god to 
give him a record of the family for the 
year. So, just before the time comes for 
them to burn this picture and start him 
on his journey, they smear his lips with 
molasses so that he will tell only the good 
things they have done.” 

Seems to me they impose upon their 
gods, dreadfully,” said Guy Brent, the min- 
ister's son, who had joined the other boys. 


122 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


They impose upon themselves, my 
boy. I have often thought how like chil- 
dren they are with all their ^ pretending,^ 
and how hard they try to deceive them- 
selves.’^ 

“ Did you see any Boxers ? ” Sam in- 
quired. 

“Yes, indeed, I saw and heard them. 
They burned our pretty mission church 
and school in Peking, and our girls and 
boys were only safe because they were 
with us. Their fathers and mothers 
were killed, — O so many of them ! and 
their homes were burned. But children, 
I want to tell you that those poor 
Chinese Christians were brave and true 
even unto death. If they had consented 
to worship their gods again, many of 
them might have saved their lives, but 
while a few did this, most of them, even 
the children, died because they would 
not deny their Lord. One of the little 
mission boys cried out while the Boxers 
were torturing his older brother, ^ Don’t 
worship the idols ! Jesus will take care 
of us.’ The next minute the little hero 


IDOL TEMPLES 


123 


was thrown into his burning home and 
perished in the flames. Don’t you think 
the Chinese are worth saving, chil- 
dren ? ” 

The sober faces and deeply drawn 
breaths of the quiet Pilgrims showed 
what they thought, and Sam said in his 
impulsive way, Better worth saving 
than we are, I guess, for I don’t think 
we’re half so brave.” 

You haven’t been tested yet, my boy, 
but I believe a good many American 
children would die before they would 
deny Christ. What we need in this 
country is courage to live for Him. 

“ But we are hoping that all this 
persecution means that better times are 
coming for China, — when schools and 
churches will be rebuilt and the people 
will cast their idols to the moles and 
bats. There are reforms already started 
to do away with early marriages and 
foot-binding. The foreign powers are 
building new railroads and we who have 
been there believe that God will soon 
claim the land for Himself.” 


124 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Mr. Brigham had brought in a 
quantity of curios, and the Pilgrims 
gathered around him like the petals of a 
flower while he explained them. There 
were idols old and ugly in a row, which 
caused much mirth and wonderment. 

Please, Mr. Brigham,^^ said little Lou, 
from her perch beside Miss Alice, “ will 
you show us how they burn nonsense be- 
fore the idols ? 

“ O Lou ! laughed the older ones, 
you mean incense.’^ 

The missionary was laughing, too, and 
he said, You have it right, little Lou, 
it is nonsense. Yes, I will show you the 
incense and the incense sticks,’^ and 
lighting a bit of dark material, they 
soon got the spicy odor of the nonsense,^’ 
such as has risen in heathen temples for 
ages. Then he showed them chopsticks, 
and cash, and quaint cups and vases, 
carved ivory ornaments, beautiful bits of 
embroidery, models of sedan chairs and 
carts, dancing dolls and funny toys such 
as they had never imagined were made 
upon the round earth. And all the 


IDOL TEMPLES 


12 S 


while Mr. Brigham was telling them 
how the children live and eat, drink, 
sleep and play. But he did not fail at 
the last to tell them how they died and 
went, lonely and afraid, into “ the dark 
unknown.^^ 

If you could really see how sad a 
heathen country and a heathen life are, 
I am sure you would want to work and 
save your money to help send mis- 
sionaries and teachers so that the chil- 
dren need never worship idols as their 
parents have for centuries,’^ he said. 

You cannot imagine how the people 
change in appearance when they become 
Christians. And the children ! To be 
sure there are bright faced boys and girls 
who worship idols, but in our mission 
schools they have such clean sweet 
faces ! ” 

Do they grow pretty ? asked Edith. 

“ The missionaries think so. As their 
minds are trained and as God teaches 
them by His spirit they certainly look 
beautiful, compared with the poor neg- 
lected millions of heathen.’^ 


126 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


They’re great workers — those Chi- 
nese,” said Ned. 

“Yes, they are industrious and eco- 
nomical, and they make fine Chris- 
tians.” 

It was a pleasant surprise when Miss 
Alice’s maid brought in ice cream and 
cake as a special treat, for the Pilgrims 
felt as Sam expressed it, “ chock full of 
China.” 

There was so much to think over and 
to tell, that several were busy with pencils 
and paper jotting down stories and de- 
scriptions of the curios. 

“ I’ll take back what I said about giv- 
ing our money to the Japanese,” said 
Ella. I would rather send the patch- 
work money and the army overcoat 
money to China, for the people seem 
more needy. I can’t get over the way 
they treat girls.” 

“ And pray to their dead grandfathers,” 
added Joanna. 

Lou was listening to the girls and now 
said gravely, “I’m going to tell people 
how the China babies are thrown away 


IDOL TEMPLES 


127 


and ask ^em to help. I know somebody 
that has lots o’ money.” 

The girls, chattering over their ice 
cream, did not notice what Lou said, 
but that young person had an idea 
working in her busy brain, which 
meant more than she herself could 
dream. 

The next day was lovely, and after 
Lou had been to morning service and 
Sunday-school she decided that it was 
her privilege to work for the heathen. 
Her father and mother were reading, 
Ned was asleep in the hammock and as 
she ran across the lawn she saw her 
grandfather asleep in his armchair, on 
the piazza, and her Aunt Alice and Kate 
Matthews in the grape arbor listening to 
the missionary from China, who was to 
speak at the church that evening. Lou 
did not care to have her aunt see her, so 
she kept out of sight, as she tripped 
along towards the stately brown house 
into which a Mrs. Rutledge had lately 
moved. This lady had a colored woman, 
old Chloe,” who had taken a fancy to 


128 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Lou, and had called her into the garden 
several times. 

I^s so lonesome,’' she said. Missus 
had a little girl like you, just as sweet, 
she was, but she tuk scarlet fever an’ 
went up to glory. An’ missus, she won’t 
see nobody now. She jus’ mou’ns an’ 
mou’ns for Miss Mill’cent. ’Tain’t right, 
but her heart’s done broke. First she 
los’ her husban’, an’ then her chile, an’ 
she say there ain’t nothing lef in this 
work to live for.” 

Lou had a lively imagination, and she 
had thought about the lonely, sad-eyed 
woman many times, but had only seen 
her as she rode past in her carriage with 
a very stiff-looking coachman to drive 
her pretty span. Now, however, she 
was going to see Mrs. Rutledge and 
tell her about the Chinese babies. Lou 
wore her best Sunday gown and rib- 
bons, her hair was nicely curled and 
she made a lovely picture, as she softly 
climbed the granite steps and reached 
the front door. It was open, but she 
touched the electric bell, expecting 


IDOL TEMPLES 


129 


old Chloe would come and invite her 
in. 

After waiting a little she rang again, 
but no one came. Then she stepped in- 
side, her heart beating fast and her 
lips moving as she whispered to her- 
self, 

‘‘ I guess old Chloe is asleep, but 
prob’ly I^d better go in. Mrs. Rutledge 
wonT mind 'cause I'm a little girl." 

All through her short life Lou had 
been petted and loved, and always wel- 
comed with outstretched arms by the 
Terrace neighbors, so she had no doubt 
this new neighbor would be delighted to 
make her acquaintance. 

She walked slowly into the wide hall, 
stopping to admire palms and pictures ; 
then entered the parlors, full of curiosity 
as she saw the grand furnishings in the 
dimly lighted rooms. As she reached the 
high arched doorway she was startled to 
see in the back parlor a lady dressed in 
black sitting in an armchair with her 
head bowed upon her hand. 

Lou had had a vague idea that she 


130 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


would find Chloe, and began all at once 
to feel very uncomfortable. 

She cleared her throat and drew a long 
sigh and the lady looked up quickly, 
startled to see the little girl in her pretty 
white gown in the doorway. 

^^Who are you?^' she demanded half 
angrily, and what are you here for ? 

I^m just Lou Leslie, and I know your 
Chloe real well,’^ Lou answered in her 
gentlest tones. Then coming nearer she 
said, — I came to make you a call. 
Would you like to hear about our Pil- 
grim Society? We meet Sat'day after- 
noons at Aunt Alice’s right next door. 
Don’t you hear us laughing some- 
times ? ” 

Yes, Mrs. Rutledge had heard their 
merry voices and closed her windows to 
keep them out. 

You can run home, now, little girl,” 
she said, turning her face away. I don’t 
care to hear about anything.” 

“ You would if you knew,” Lou con- 
tinued coaxingly ; it’s very int’resting.” 

But I do not wish to know. I wonder 


IDOL TEMPLES 


131 


how you happened to come in, — and 
where the servants are.’^ 

As Mrs. Rutledge spoke, Lou’s eyes 
fell upon a little girl’s photograph. 

“ 0 isn’t she pretty ? ” she whispered. 

Is she the one that your Chloe says 
went up to glory ? ” 

Mrs. Rutledge looked into Lou’s eyes, 
and her own filled with hot tears as she 
heard the serious sympathetic words. 
The next moment she was clasping Lou 
in her arms as she murmured, O my 
heart aches — aches — for my own little 
girl ! Why did you come here ? I said 
I would never love another child nor let 
one touch me. And now I am feeling 
your warm pink cheeks — they are like 
Millicent’s — and holding you close. O I 
loved her so, and now I have lost her, — 
my one little girl ! ” 

Lou took her own tiny handkerchief 
and wiped the tears from the poor moth- 
er’s cheeks, swallowing hard to keep from 
crying herself, as she said. 

Why, she isn’t lost, is she ? Folks are 
lost when we don’t know where they are. 


132 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


But ’course she’s right where Jesus is and 
He’s in a real place isn’t He? I s’pose 
she knew her ^suffer little children to 
come unto Me ’ verse, didn’t she ? ” 

“ Yes, yes, dear. She loved everything 
that was good and beautiful. She said 
she was going to see Jesus and her papa.” 

“ She’s all right, then,” said Lou 
happily. Our min’ster says it’s true as 
true that Heaven’s a real place. Seem’s 
if you’d be glad she couldn’t ever have 
measles or sore froat or toothache any 
more.” 

“ But 0 I want her so much ! the world 
is so dark without her,” the mother 
moaned. 

I guess it isn’t so dark for you as ’tis 
for the poor China mothers. They don’t 
know where their children go when they 
die. They haven’t the least thing to pray 
to ’cepting an ugly old idol that can’t 
hear a word. The mish’nary said Chris- 
tians would be ’most too thankful to cry 
when their people die if they could see 
the mothers out there who don’t know 
about Jesus or heaven or angels.” 


IDOL TEMPLES 


133 


Mrs. Rutledge looked into Lou’s clear 
eyes in a puzzled way as she asked, “ Who 
sent you here ? ” 

Why I just came my own self,” Lou 
answered cheerfully. 

“You’re a queer child, but I know 
your mother must love you, O so much ! ” 
“ She does. So does Aunt Alice and 
all the people. Jesus loves me, too, an’ 
He loves the little China babies, only 
they don’t know it.” 

“ What in the world makes you keep 
talking to me about the heathen ? ” 

“ Because — because — you’ve got lots o’ 
money and you could help save the ba- 
bies and poor little girls that’s sold for 
slaves. Aunt Alice said we must all do 

what we could, so ” 

“ So you came in here for money, — you 
little burglar ! ” and the lady almost 
smiled as she kissed Lou’s pink cheek. 
“ Well,” she went on, “ perhaps God sent 
you. He knows I need help, too, — so 
you may stay and talk to me just this 
once. . Tell me anything you wish.” 

So Lou perched herself comfortably 


134 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


upon the broad arm of the lady’s chair, 
and in her funny, scrappy way, told her 
what the Pilgrims had heard and done 
since they began their travels. And Mrs. 
Rutledge held her close, — smiling and 
weeping, but comforted, as the bitterness 
and rebellion seemed to melt out of her 
heart. For the first time since her little 
Millicent left her, she began to think of 
the sorrows of others. 

When Chloe, suddenly awakening from 
her nap on the back porch heard voices, 
and stole through the dining-room to un- 
ravel the mystery, she saw her mistress 
holding Lou Leslie and talking with her. 
She clasped her hands and tiptoed away 
whispering to herself, Bress the Lord ! 
Bress the dear Lord ! ” 


VII 


GLIMPSES OF THE HERMIT NATION 

TE can^t have a school picnic 
\/^y now/’ Ned complained. “ The 
" ^ teachers say it’s too near the 
end of school and they’re too busy.” 

Ned was just the age to feel such a dis- 
appointment, especially as they had 
planned to go to Lake Clear, where there 
was splendid boating and fishing. This 
was Wednesday. The next night he raced 
across the lawn again to see Aunt Alice. 

‘‘ How’s this ? ” he shouted. Charlie 
Wheeler says his mother says she’d like 
to have the Globe-Trotters out to the farm 
week from next Saturday for a picnic 
meeting. Charlie says they’ve got the 
dandiest maple grove you ever saw.” 

That will be fine,” said Miss Gay. 

The girls will probably invite us next 
Saturday. You would enjoy it if you 
could go^ I fancy.” 


*35 


136 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


If 1 could go ? Why, Aunt Alice, — 
Charlie thinks I can — and I sup- 
posed 

Miss Gay laughed to see his downcast 
face. Then you really think Globe- 
Trotters are pretty good company, do 
you? And you don’t object to mission- 
arying ? ” 

‘^Why, no, Aunt Alice. I like it, 
now honest. I thought ’twould be sort 
of a sermon with lots o’ figures and 
things, but all us boys think we can learn 
a great deal. You’re willing we should 
go to the picnic, aren’t you ? ” 

Surely, my dear boy, as long as you 
and the other boys are so agreeable we are 
glad to have you in our company. Next 
Saturday we shall visit Korea, and I want 
you to read something about Korean 
boys.” 

'*0 1 can’t read before all those girls,” 
and Ned’s face grew very red. 

" But you do in school. Just forget 
yourself and remember that every Pilgrim 
must do his part.” 

" 0 Aunt Alice,” Ned’s voice changed 


THE HERMIT NATION 


137 


suddenly, and he came to her side, Lou 
did a dreadful thing last Sunday, and she 
never told mother till last night. She 
called on that Vistocratic Mrs. Rutledge 
all by herself and told her about the Pil- 
grims.’’ 

“ Why, Ned Leslie, is it possible ! ” 
Miss Gay’s face flushed, and then she 
began to laugh. 

'^Yes’m, — I guess Lou’s conscience 
troubled her some, but she said she had 
a beautiful call, and made Mrs. Rutledge 
pity the China girls that had their feet 
bound and the babies that were thrown 
away. She thinks Mrs. Rutledge will 
give her as much as fifty cents to put in 
her mite box.” 

The little mouse ! Well, Lou has done 
what no one else would dare to do, bless 
her ! ” 

That’s about what ma said, but she 
told Lou she mustn’t do so any more. 
That child is always cutting up some 
funny dido.” And Ned ran away in 
answer to a '' Hil-i-ho-o ! ” signal from 
Sam Taylor. 


138 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Lizzie and Lydia Wheeler came to the 
meeting on Saturday quite burdened 
with their picnic project, and as soon as 
“ new business ” was in order, Lizzie 
arose and said : 

“Miss President, I have the pleasure 
to invite all the Pilgrims to our farm 
next week, Saturday. Father will let 
Charlie take the big wagon to bring all 
who haven’t wheels, and mother will give 
the picnic part — I mean things to eat 
and drink.” 

She sat down with a very rosy face, 
and Lydia whispered that she ought to 
have said “ refreshments.” 

But there was no time for corrections. 
Gladys was on her feet, shaking out her 
new dimity dress as she said, “ I move. 
Miss President, that we accept this invi- 
tation gratefully.” 

“ Miss President, I second the motion,” 
said Mary Ellen. It was carried unani- 
mously, with many smiling glances to- 
wards the Wheeler sisters. 

Then Joanna moved that the boys 
who had begun to attend the meet- 


THE HERMIT NATION 


139 


ings be elected honorable mem- 
bers/' 

You mean ^ honorary/ " said Miss 
Alice, and with much laughter that was 
also carried. 

After work on the carpet rags began, 
there was a little time given to a discus- 
sion of Mr. Brigham's address the previous 
Sunday evening, and the children glee- 
fully reported the comments of the older 
people who had not heard a missionary 
speak for several years. 

Joanna Stebbins said, “ My father 
thinks the debt better be paid or the 
people will give all their money to foreign 
missions," to which Avis Brent added, 
“ Papa says this church is near-sighted, 
and Mr. Brigham was a splendid tele- 
scope." — Magnifying glass my papa 
said," chimed in Edith, ^^and he took 
notes to use at the mission." 

Our folks said that it all begun 
with Miss Alice's Pilgrims, and if we 
never paid the debt they'd be to 
blame," and Persis arched her eye- 
brows and drew down her lips, telling 


140 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


very plainly that old Mr. Adams had 
spoken. 

Miss Gay smiled appreciatingly as she 
said, “ Now we will make our trip to 
Korea, and Ella Brown who always 
knows her geography may tell us what 
she has learned about the country.’’ 

The modest little girl glanced at Miss 
Alice gratefully and took her position 
before the map. 

“ This little country between the Yel- 
low Sea and the sea of Japan is Korea. 
It goes by the name of the ^ Hermit 
nation,’ because it has tried to shut itself 
away from all the other countries.” 

^^Why?” asked Ned. 

Because China and Japan both wanted 
it, and Korea wanted to be independent. 
Now the nations have made treaties, and 
it isn’t a hermit any longer. The capital 
is Seoul. This city has a wall twenty- 
two to thirty feet high all around it, and 
it is ten miles around Seoul — with eight 
gates. These gates are closed at sunset, 
according to an old custom. It is a hilly 
country, not beautiful like Japan, and 


THE HERMIT NATION 


141 


the climate is cold in the north but more 
like our own in the south.” 

'' Very well done, Ella. Now Ned may 
show these photographs and tell you 
about the people.” 

Just boys, Aunt Alice, was what you 
said ; but I went to the library and 
found a book that was so interesting — 

0 it was a regular story. Say ! suppose 

1 keep the photographs till I tell about 
'em.” 

All right,” said Miss Alice much 
amused to see her young nephew’s busi- 
nesslike air. 

He tossed his hair from his forehead 
and began ^‘just like a preacher,” as 
Lou whispered to Avis. 

The Koreans are very funny people. 
There are fourteen millions of them and 
they are some larger than the Japs, with 
brownish complexion and coarse straight 
black hair. But the way they dress beats 
the band. I wrote it down. ^ A Korean 
gentleman in full dress wears a loose 
tunic, baggy trousers tied around the 
ankles, stockings padded with cotton and 


142 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


outside of all a long coat with big sleeves 
in which are his pockets.^ ’’ A laugh from 
boys and girls alike emphasized this point. 

“ But wait a minute ! ‘ his crowning 
glory is his hat, or hats. He has the 
first of these when he gets engaged to be 
married for he never wears one before.’ 
I’m almost ashamed to tell how the boy’s 
hair is fixed, Aunt Alice, but he has it 
grow long, parts it in the middle and has 
it braided and the braid hangs down his 
back and is tied with black ribbon ! ” 

Exclamations of doubt and a groan 
from Sam led Ned to exhibit a photo- 
graph and to continue, O that’s true ! 
I didn’t write the book. Well, I might 
finish the boy before I tell about the 
hats. He wears white loose trousers 
tied with bright ribbons or cloth around 
the ankle and a long coat of pink or 
blue or red, if you please ! ” 

The expression of sympathy for the 
Korean boy on Ned’s face was the signal 
for another laugh. 

Think what a boy must suffer dressed 
like that,” he said. 



I 


t 


KOREAN BOYS AND GIRLS 



4 - 



THE HERMIT NATION 


143 


But remember that is the fashion for 
all the boys and he knows nothing else. 
Now tell us about the hats/^ said Miss 
Alice. 

When the boy is ready for a hat a 
spot is shaven on the top of his head. 
Then his long hair is drawn up and made 
into a knot and fastened. Then a band 
of woven horsehair about an inch and 
a half wide is bound very tightly round 
his head. Then his hat of woven horse- 
hair with a straight brim is put on and tied 
under his chin with ribbons ! Yes, that is 
straight, Sam, and if you groan again 

Idl No, Aunt Alice, not in here, 

but honest, he ought to believe it, when 
I took such pains to write it down. The 
‘ mourning hats ^ are queerest of all. The 
men dress in white cotton goods, and 
when the women wash the clothes they 
rip 'em apart." 

Oh ! " sighed Persis, what's that 
for?" 

Fashion I guess, same as it is in 
Japan. Well, the women iron in a queer 
way. They wind the cloth on a wooden 


144 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


roller, then they take a piece of wood 
some like a baseball bat and pound the 
cloth smooth. The man that wrote the 
book says that coming into a village a 
man will hear the ‘ rat-tat-tat ’ way along 
in the night. 

“You told us how the men and boys 
dress, but what about the girls?” asked 
Persis. 

Ned fumbled amongst his notes. “ O, 
here Tis ! ” he said. “ Red, or blue, or 
green skirts and little short jackets com- 
ing just below the arms. These are red 
or green or yellow. Their hair is braided 
like the boys’ only they wear plum col- 
ored ribbon instead of black. They have 
a pretty hard time — the Korean girls — 
shut up in the houses and working hard 
and not going to school unless the mis- 
sionaries help. But there’s one funny 
thing I put down, — about what the 
women wear on their heads when they 
go into the street. It’s a coat, — a regular 
coat with sleeves — made out of green or 
blue cloth. The sleeves are just loose, 
mind you, and flap around their ears. 


THE HERMIT NATION 


Hi 


Well, the reason is a strange one. Years 
ago when the men went into the fields to 
work they didnT know when their ene- 
mies might attack them ; so the women 
used to carry out their coats ready for 
them to put on — wearing ^em over their 
heads. And because they did so then, 
they keep on. Isn^t it queer. Aunt Alice, 
that people keep doing foolish things 
over and over when they must see it’s 
foolish.” 

“ Yes, dear, and isn’t it nice we’re not 
Koreans, and don’t keep doing foolish 
things over and over,” Miss Alice an- 
swered with a smile. 

Y-e-es,” and Ned immediately re- 
membered some foolish habits of his own 
which his aunt knew about, and smiled 
understandingly. 

“I’d like to know how fellows rigged 
out as those Koreans are can ever do any 
fighting,” said Charlie Wheeler. 

“ That’s another funny thing I Aunt 
Alice, am I taking too much time? ” Ned 
inquired anxiously. 

“ No, go on and tell about the soldiers.” 


146 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Well, a few years ago when they went 
to war the officers who rode horses had 
two men, one on each side of the horse to 
look out for them. And they hadn’t any 
sort of a fighting army until they got 
foreign officers to drill their men. And 
they don’t like foreign things in Korea, 
so after there was an electric plant put 
into the palace grounds, they let it go all 
to ruins as soon as the men who came to 
teach ’em to run it went away. Yes, sir ! 
But they are using an electric railway in 
Seoul and really things are not quite so 
bad as they were.” 

Ned had spoken rapidly, and no one 
had grown tired listening. As he gath- 
ered up his papers the Pilgrims gave him 
a rousing cheer, and then Miss Alice 
brought in delicious lemonade and lady 
fingers as a special treat. 

While they were sipping and nibbling, 
the photographs were passed around and 
Miss Alice told them how the women in 
the South wore enormous hats, so large 
that one was like a tent if the wearer sat 
down upon the ground. She showed 


THE HERMIT NATION 


H7 


them a temple, too, with priests at the 
door, and told them that the Koreans 
worshipped Buddha and Confucius and 
their ancestors, but were not very devout 
heathen. They really believe in spirits 
and demons which they fear, and are a 
very superstitious people. 

“ Their homes are very poor,” she said, 
and Korea is called a filthy country 
but the people are courteous and gentle 
as a rule, and wish for better things. 
When men and women are told about 
the one true God, and His Son our Lord 
they are eager to know more.” 

What about the missionaries. Miss 
Alice ? ” asked Avis. 

The first one from the United States 
went in 1884. Think of it ! That is less 
than quarter of a century ago and several 
thousand Koreans are already earnest 
Christians and there are mission schools 
and hospitals and churches springing up 
in all the principal seaports and villages. 
Women will walk twenty miles some- 
times to meet the missionary teachers 
and * learn the book.^ ” 


148 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


That^s a good people to help/^ said 
Joanna. I move we give our patchwork 

money and our '' 

‘‘ O Jo ! cried the other girls. ThaPs 
the third time weVe ‘ moved.^ You 
wanted it to go to Japan and to China 
and now to Korea. 

Miss Alice looked into the laughing 
faces with a tremulous smile. “ That^s 
just the way I feel, girls. As we move 
from country to country and get a glimpse 
of the people and learn what a terrible 
thing idolatry is, — why, I feel as if I must 
help them all — right away^ 

She would make a nice missionary 
wouldnT she. Pert?’’ Trudie whispered. 

“ But she won’t be one — she's ours to 
keepj" Persis responded fiercely. 

Miss Alice had been picking up papers 
and photographs, and now exclaimed, 
Here is another bit about Korean chil- 
dren which I am sure you will be glad to 
hear, and which has a little lesson, too. 
As we have already learned, great respect 
is shown to parents and grand-parents in 
Japan and China by the children. This 



KOREAN TEMPLE AND PRIESTS 













THE HERMIT NATION 


149 


is true also in Korea, and I have found a 
translation of the rules they are expected 
to obey, 

“ ‘ The duty of sons, daughters ^ and 
daughters-in-law to their parents . — In the 
morning, when the cock crows, they must 
arise, wash their faces, and go to their 
parents’ room, and ask, with quiet voices 
and gentle manners, if their room is cold 
or warm, and whether there was the 
proper quantity of covering. In winter 
they should make them warm, and in 
summer make them cool. If the parents 
wish to wash their faces, the younger 
children bring the wash-dish, and the 
elder ones the water, and they hand them 
the towels when they are done washing. 

^ Then they ask their parents what 
they will have to eat, and must serve 
them with honor and care. If they do 
not honor their parents, they are not 
dutiful, even though they supply them 
with beef, pork, and mutton all in one 
day. 

^ When the son goes out he must tell 
his parents, and when he returns he must 


150 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


let them know. He must not go far away 
lest his parents are troubled when they 
seek for him ; and he must tell the exact 
place he goes, so that it may be easy for 
his parents to send for him should they 
want to see him.’ ” 

At first the Pilgrims laughed, for it was 
very funny to think of small Koreans 
creeping around so quietly in the morn- 
ing to serve their parents ; and then they 
grew quiet, for how many times had their 
fathers and mothers been troubled ” 
while seeking for them. Really there 
were things they could learn from the 
funny Koreans ! 

Next Saturday we will not go to 
India,” said Miss Alice in closing ; but 
we’ll spend an hour at our picnic meet- 
ing in talking about wonderful trees and 
fruits and flowers in mission countries. 
You must see what you can find to tell 
us about. As school closes Wednesday 
you will be free to travel the wide world 
o’er.” 

Little Lou waited until the children 
had all gone rollicking down the hill. 


THE HERMIT NATION 


151 


Then with shy eyes watching her aunt’s 
face to see how she bore the news, she 
said, I’ve got a ’gagement to call on 
Mrs. Rutledge to-morrow.” 

‘^Why, darling, how did you get ac- 
quainted with Mrs. Rutledge?” Miss 
Alice inquired drawing her small niece 
into her lap. 

“ I just went and called on her, and 
went right in,” Lou explained. She 
wasn’t very glad to see me but she grew 
glad an’ now she ’most loves me. I told 
her all about the China babies an’ she 
was real int’rested.” 

Bless your little heart, you are a 
missionary, Lou Leslie,” said Miss Alice, 
and then Lou told her all about the lady 
in black, who had lost ” her own little 
girl. 


VIII 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC UNDER FOREIGN 
TREES 

F I AHERE Aunt Alice, isn’t this the 
I dandiest grove you ever saw, 
just as Charlie said ? ” 

“ It is lovely, Ned,” Miss Gay answered 
from her seat in the hammock swung 
under twin maples. 

Ned sat on a stump, fanning himself 
with his straw hat, for he had been help- 
ing Charlie make lemonade and ice 
cream which is warm work as everybody 
knows. Lou was lying on a shawl near 
by, her happy eyes fixed on the great 
white masses of clouds above her. As 
Ned ran off* again to the other boys her 
voice mingled with bird songs as she 
murmured : There’s a big, big church 
up there and there’s an efilant with peo- 
ple on his back, and there’s a fat baby 
with wings and — Aunt Alice ! Mrs. 

*52 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


153 


Rutledge says her little Millicent loved 
the sky and was ^quainted with Jesus 
and I said I didn^t b’lieve she was lone- 
some, there^s so many chihren up there. 
I said Jesus would let ^em play quietly, 
^course He would. They wouldn’t feel to 
home if He didn’t. And I said didn’t 
she think ’twas sad if the China babies 
went there and not their fathers and 
mothers. ’Cause you know Mr. Brigham 
said chiVren wasn’t heathen, — no, never , 
till they said prayers to idols their own 
vol-un-ta-ry selves. I kept that word in 
my mind. And I said wasn’t it too bad 
they didn’t know two things, and she 
said ^ what two,’ and I said, the ‘ Thou 
shalt not worship any engraven image ’ 
and the ‘ Suffer little chil’ren to come 
unto Me ’ verse. So then was when she 

said she’d take two girls anyway ” 

'' Lou darling, what are you talking 
about?” asked Miss Alice. 

Didn’t I tell you ? Why Aunt 
Alice I then ’twas mamma, and you two 
people are so resembling sometimes I 
forget. But she did, — she said would it 


154 


TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


make me happy if she put two China 
babies with the missionaries so they 
could get 'quainted with Jesus, and I 
said, ^Yes’m,^ and clapped my hands. 
She will give ^em to us — the Pilgrims I 
mean — and she^s going to call to see 


'' O Lou ! laughed Miss Alice, I 
don’t know what to say. When I called 
at Mrs. Rutledge’s I wasn’t asked to go 
in and just left my card, and now you — 
you little mouse, — well, I hope you re- 
membered to thank Mrs. Rutledge ? ” 

“Yes, I told her ’twould make her 
heart very happy to think she was help- 
ing those poor people, — same as you tell 
us. So then she smiled and hugged 
me.” 

Miss Gay watched the sweet face up- 
lifted towards the sky, and did not 
wonder that the desolate mother had loved 
one so angelic as Lou seemed at that 
moment. But the child turned suddenly 
to say, 

“ Aunt Alice, did you know that robins 
are all named Jim? They hop a little 



CHINESE BAIMES WITH THE :\irSSIONArxIES 







THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


155 


ways and say ' Jim ! Jim ! ' to each other 
just as sweetly. And the bird that says 
* O-o dear I ’ ^s if he was awful tired — is a 
meadow lark, Lizzie Wheeler says. She 
knows about birds and pigs and every- 
thing. I think it^s nice out here where 
people have corn-fields on their lawns, 
don’t you ? ” 

Then with a glad cry Lou started to 
her feet. 

“ O Aunt Alice, there’s Miss Kate 
Matthews in her pony carriage and 
Winnie Brent is with her. O aren’t I 
happy?” and away she raced, followed 
by Miss Gay, who was very glad to see 
her friend. 

Leaving the pony in Mr. Wheeler’s care 
the two were soon seated in the hammock, 
while Lou and Winnie curled down upon 
the shawl with beaming faces. 

“ Yes,” said Miss Matthews, I thought 
I might as well join the Pilgrims to-day 
and learn about trees.” Then as Lou 
looked at her questioningly she added. 
Do you think I ought to learn about 
the people, too ? Well, so do I and per- 


156 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


haps if I’m very, very good you will let 
me come and sit in the corner some day 
when you have a regular meeting. Mr. 
Brigham’s address has aroused a real in- 
terest in our church, Alice, but your Pil- 
grims began the good work.” 

While the ladies talked and Lou and 
Winnie sang their little nature songs, the 
rest of the girls were at the other end of 
the grove where a wide brook danced on 
its way to the river. They were gather- 
ing wild flowers and mosses, and swing- 
ing on saplings, — enjoying themselves to 
the utmost. 

Persis was fond of birds and with eyes 
for nothing else she searched trees and 
bushes eagerly. 

“ Here’s a scarlet tanager ! ” she ex- 
claimed, hushing the rest of the Pilgrims 
who came running to see. That makes 
ten kinds of birds I’ve found since I 
came. O the beauty ! ” and with clasped 
hands and uplifted eyes Persis advanced, 
caught her foot under a root, fell into a 
thorn-bush and lo I a cornerwise rent in 
her lawn dress. 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


157 


'‘Stumble heels!” Gladys cried. 
" Catch her toes and down she goes ! ” 

" If you knew half as much about 
birds as Pert does you could afford to 
tear your clothes,” said Maud, springing 
to the rescue. 

" If I was such a tomboy I^d have a 
dress made of blue drilling and wear 
knee-pads,” Gladys retorted. 

" Come, come, Gladys, you let Pert 
alone. You’re always saying something 
mean about her clothes. We know you 
can dress like the Queen of Sheba if you 
want to, but dress isn’t everything,” said 
Joanna. 

Mary Ellen Fairbrother crossed over 
to Gladys, her nose elevated and her 
shoulders squared as for battle, but 
Gladys promptly drew away. 

Avis began to laugh. " Pretty Pil- 
grims we are to begin a quarrel out in 
this beautiful grove. I move that we all 
repeat ' Let dogs delight to bark and 
bite ’ ten times in concert.” 

They began, Persis joining with hearty 
good-will, but Gladys who had a hot 


158 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


temper of her own left the laughing 
group and sauntered away alone, not 
even Mary Ellen daring to follow. 

“ Edith, let’s sing ^ Let a little sunshine 
in.’ Quick, — pitch it high ! ” cried Jo- 
anna. 

The song rang out joyfully, but Gladys 
did not turn, and was soon out of sight. 

Joanna, her hand over her heart, pre- 
tended to lament, but they were soon 
watching Trudie Eastman as she sketched 
the scene before them and had forgotten 
Gladys when a piercing shriek reminded 
them of her. Joanna and Persis, swift 
runners, were first to follow the voice and 
to find the little girl in the brook where 
it was deepest and widest, while a big 
calm-eyed ox watched her from the bank. 

He was after me ! ” Gladys sobbed, 
he looked right over my shoulder.” 

Here, Joanna, you put your arm 
around this tree and let me hold your 
other hand,” said Persis, and so, kneeling 
and reaching her hand to Gladys, they 
helped her up the steep slippery bank. 

That’s old Broad,” Lizzie said as the 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


159 


girls gathered around the dripping 
Gladys. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, — but 
of course his horns are rather big. Now 
come right to the house, quick as you 
can.” 

Still crying, Gladys was escorted to the 
house where Mrs. Wheeler soon had her 
rubbed dry, and dressed in a full suit of 
Lydia’s clothes. 

Outside the girls talked as they waited. 

^^Why didn’t you call her stumble- 
heels ? ” asked Joanna. I think it’s just 
a good * pay back ’ for her to get her nice 
clothes wet, she’s so proud.” 

Persis laughed. “ I didn’t think of 
anything only how to get her out. I 
read a story the other day about some 
people that got a man out of the river by 
holding on to each other, so that’s why I 
knew.” 

Then Maud said soberly, If that brook 
had been a river and Gladys had been 
drowned, we’d all feel sorry we hadn’t 
tried to love her more.” 

“ That’s so, girls,” Ella agreed, “ seems 
if it’s better not to say things about any- 


i6o TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


body because you never know what may 
happen.’’ 

While they were still discussing these 
grave questions, Gladys appeared in 
Lydia’s well-known blue and white ging- 
ham. 

I’m not hurt any, girls,” she said, 

but my legs tremble, I was so fright- 
ened ; and I’m awful sorry I called you a 
stumble-heels. Pert, and I thank you and 
Jo for saving my life.” 

Gladys spoke with a little superior air, 
hut the girls did not laugh, only smiled 
when practical Lizzie said, 

“ I don’t believe Broad would have 
touched you, Gladys, but the brook is 
rather deep there and you might have 
drowned if you had fallen in length- 
wise.” 

It was now time for the picnic dinner, 
and Mrs. Wheeler and her stout Swede 
girl with all the Pilgrims who were al- 
lowed to help, soon had the two long ta- 
bles covered with an abundance of good 
things. 

Such sandwiches, doughnuts, straw- 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


i6i 


berries and chocolate cakes, are not 
often seen ; and the ice cream — real 
cream, mind you,^’ as Charlie announced, 
was simply delicious. 

Now for an hour with foreign trees 
and flowers,^' said Miss Alice after all had 
eaten. We’ll not have a business meet- 
ing, but just attend to our subject.” 

“ Aunt Alice,” said Ned, I think we 
have learned more about our own trees 
because of our subject. I couldn’t tell a 
white maple from a sugar maple till to- 
day. It’s queer how we see things and 
don’t see them just as our minds happen 
to be.” 

Very true, Ned, and I wish this talk 
about foreign trees might lead you to 
study those you see every day. And now 
we will hear what Guy Brent can tell us 
about most useful trees in other lands.” 

Guy was a quiet, studious boy and had 
greatly enjoyed his research. He read 
as follows : 

There are so many useful trees that I 
hardly knew how to choose, but the bam- 
boo is certainly one of the most useful, 


i 62 twelve little PILGRIMS 


and grows in many Oriental countries. 
It is like a giant grass, sometimes more 
than a hundred feet high with long feath- 
ery tops that bend over. From it a man 
can build his house and make all his 
furniture, — mats, screens, chairs, tables, 
bedsteads, bedding, baskets, boxes, ropes, 
pails and dishes. If he gets lost and 
wants a fire he rubs two pieces of bam- 
boo together and gets it. He makes a 
rod and line of it and catches fish. If 
he can get the seeds he eats them for 
food. In Madagascar they have what is 
called the traveller’s tree. The trunk is 
bare but at the top are leaves six feet 
long with stalks as long as the leaves. 
In the hollow stalks is found water pure 
and fresh. All a man has to do is to cut 
a hole in the stalk with his knife and 
out pours the water. The long leaves are 
used to make table-cloths and dishes and 
to cover roofs of houses. The stalks 
make beams and walls of houses. Then 
there is the banana tree. So many 
bananas are raised that it is said the 
whole population of the earth could be 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


163 


supported on the annual crop. It is the 
most valuable fruit there is. It is not 
always a tree but in some places just a 
plant, which dies after bearing a single 
bunch of bananas. It grows in Africa, 
the West Indies and other places, and 
when it is planted in May it will bear 
the next March. Other useful trees are 
the ^ cow tree ’ in South America, the co- 
coanut palm whose fruit and sap fur- 
nish oil, milk, sugar and solid food. 
Then there are splendid trees like ma- 
hogany, but I may as well stop right here 
for I think my time is up and I have 
hardly begun. 

There was much handclapping as Guy 
paused, for the Pilgrims were generous in 
applause. 

Now, Ella, we will hear your paper,^^ 
said Miss Gay. 

Ella’s face was as pink as the shirt 
waist she wore as she said : 

I was wondering what I could write, 
and mamma told me to go to the spice 
boxes, so I did and this is what I found : 
First, cloves. The clove tree grows in 


164 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


tropical islands, like the West Indies, to 
a height of about forty feet. Its leaves 
are evergreen and it has clusters of small 
pale pink flowers. Now while these 
flowers are buds, they are gathered and 
dried in the sun. The sunshine turns 
them dark. If you soak a clove in warm 
water you will see the little bud petals. 
They are gathered in the fall, and in one 
pound there are about flve thousand 
buds. Next box, cinnamon. Cinnamon 
trees grow in Ceylon, from twenty to 
thirty feet high, with a mass of leaves 
and pale yellow flowers at the top. In 
April and November the bark is gath- 
ered. Some of the branches are cut, the 
bark is taken off and when it is dried 
they tie it in bundles for market. Some 
man has to taste and taste to see which is 
best, and in time it gives him a painful 
disease of his mouth and tongue. So we 
better not eat cinnamon too much. 

“ Next box, nutmegs. The nutmeg tree 
grows a neighbor to the clove, on the 
Molucca or Spice Islands. They are 
handsome trees thirty feet high and bear 


THE PILGRIMS PICNIC 


165 


a pale yellow fruit the size of the peach. 
The nutmeg is its kernel, and on the out- 
side of the kernel is a covering which 
makes another spice called mace. Mamma 
has allspice, too, and that is the whole 
dried berry of the ‘ pimento,^ or Jamaica 
pepper. The berries are gathered in 
August by a small boy in the tree and 
women under it to pick up the small 
branches he throws down.” 

While Ella was reading a low rum- 
bling sound was heard in the west, and 
the Pilgrims began to look anxious. 

“ I am afraid we must go home at once 
if we do not want to get caught in a 
thunder-shower,” said Miss Gay, and 
there was an immediate response as the 
children jumped to their feet. 

“ I was going to tell about a ginger- 
bread tree that grows in Egypt, Arabia 
and Abyssinia,” said Persis. “ Fruit tastes 
like gingerbread.” 

Joanna at the same moment was say- 
ing, I found that camphor trees grow 
in Japan.” 

And I bad olive trees,” added Avis. 


i66 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


I got so interested in Bible trees that 
I’m going to make a game for us chil- 
dren to play, — some like ^ authors ’ you 
know.” 

“ Won’t that be fine ? ” and as they 
raced across the field one and another 
urged further study of trees and flowers. 

And we haven’t got to flowers at all,” 
said Trudie Eastman, “ and I wrote about 
lovely ones that grow in Africa and 
Japan and lots o’ places.” 

Too bad. Let’s go to the library this 
vacation, and see how much more we can 
learn. I think my brains are growing so 
I’ll have to wear larger hats by and by,” 
laughed Ned as they reached the big 
wagon and climbed in quite sure now 
that they could reach home before the 
storm burst, and bearing with them 
pleasant memories of their picnic. 


IX 


ENTERING INDIA 

** TUST think ! this is our last meeting 
I till September/’ said Avis, mourn- 
^ fully, as the Pilgrims came into 
Miss Gay’s wide cool hall. 

“ I don’t see why,” Persis responded. 
“ Aren’t most of us going to stay here ? ” 

Gladys gave her head a little toss as 
she said, ‘‘We are going to the moun- 
tains, and then to Newport where papa 
has a cottage.” 

Joanna made a naughty little face to- 
wards Persis and a saucy word was ready 
to slip out when Avis hastened to say, 
“We are all going to Maine, where 
Gran’pa Brent lives, in August.” 

“ And Miss Alice is going to Chau- 
tauqua with Mrs. Brigham, and Mrs. 
Brigham’s missionary nephew is going 
to give lectures on China there,” added 
Trudie with an important air. 

167 


i68 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


*^How do you know?^’ the others 
questioned doubtingly, and then they 
hurried into the dining-room to find that 
it was really true, but Miss Alice said 
brightly, I shall learn ever so much 
and when I come home I will share it all 
with you/^ 

When the time came for new business 
in their opening exercises their leader 
said, I hope we will all do something 
this vacation to earn money for our 
treasury. Some of you can do fancy 
work and others can make sweeping-caps, 
and holders and handkerchief-bags — 
anything useful or ornamental that will 
sell, so that when we have our entertain- 
ment 

Entertainment ? the girls echoed. 

** Yes, in the fall. We can do it, and 
have a good time just the same.” Then 
in a very sympathetic voice she added, 
“ Mrs. Rutledge has given us three 
scholarships, which means that three 
girls can be educated in one of our mis- 
sion schools in China and when they go 
out three more and so on as long as she 


ENTERING INDIA 


169 


lives and perhaps longer. One is to be 
the Millicent Rutledge scholarship, an- 
other the Lou Leslie, and the third the 
Little Pilgrim scholarship.” 

‘‘ O how lovely ! ” Edith whispered. 

Just think if we’d never Persis 

continued. 

Isn’t it beautiful to start something 
that God can bless and help to grow ? ” 
Miss Alice finished, and there was a light 
in her face which the girls had noticed 
many times when she was deeply moved. 

Sewing up pillow cases ^ over and 
over ’ is our work to-day,” Miss Alice 
announced, and while there were two or 
three sighs and as many wee frowns, — 
for over and over ” takes all there is of 
eyes and fingers, — still, these girls were 
learning to do hard things cheerfully for 
love’s sake. 

But before we begin we will have a 
geography lesson on India just to get ac- 
quainted a bit before we explore the 
country. Mary Ellen will take charge.” 

Now Mary Ellen Fairbrother was shy 
and awkward, and her waist and skirt 


170 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


had a bad habit of parting in the back, 
and her hair of hanging in what Persis 
called stringlets on each side of her 
face. But she had made a mighty resolu- 
tion in her lonely home that she would 
do her best for Miss Alice, whom she 
adored. So while the girls smiled and 
fidgeted, she took her place at the map, 
placing the pointer on India. 

Here it is, in the southern part of 
Asia. It is fifteen thousand miles from 
us. Its population is about three hun- 
dred million. The people are dark with 
black hair and eyes.” 

At this point Mary Ellen seemed to 
run out of ideas, and Miss Alice said. 
Ask questions, girls, that is the way to 
learn.” 

^^Are there mountains in India?” 
Avis inquired. 

Mary Ellen nodded vigorously. “Yes, 
there are lofty mountain ranges — the 
Himalayas are in the north and some of 
the peaks are twenty thousand feet high. 
There are rivers, too. I found the Indus, 
Tapti, Brahmaputra and Ganges and Ner- 


ENTERING INDIA 


171 


budda. It says that these last ones are 
sacred, — I don^t know why.” 

“ Any trees and flowers ? ” asked Persis. 

Why yes,” and a broad smile relieved 
Mary Ellen^s anxious expression. “ The 
banyan tree is very — very famous. Here’s 
a picture. Its branches grow down, you 
see, and take root in the ground and 
another tree grows until there’ll be a reg- 
ular grove with one great trunk. There 
is one such tree ” — here Mary Ellen 
paused to unfold a little paper from 
which she read : “ The largest banyan 

in India is called ‘ The Mother.’ It 
grows on an island in the Nerbudda 
River and covers three or four acres. It 
is said that ten thousand men could stand 
under its shade.” 

How is India governed ? ” Avis asked, 
after they had wondered over the great 
banyan. 

“ 0 yes ! India is governed by the 
King of England. He has a man to rep- 
resent him called a Viceroy. England 
has ruled India more than a hundred 
years.” 


172 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Very well done, Mary Ellen,” said 
Miss Alice, kindly, and the little girl 
took her seat feeling very happy, not 
only because she had received her teach- 
er’s commendation but because it was her 
first real efibrt to overcome her rather 
stubborn bashfulness. 

Miss Alice took up the subject in her 
own earnest way. 

As Mary Ellen has indicated India is 
a great rich country in itself, with high 
mountains, beautiful valleys and broad 
rivers. But there are hot desolate plains, 
too, we shall find, and as in every pagan 
land we shall see ever so many poor peo- 
ple ; — I mean people who can’t get 
enough to eat. And do you know, dear 
Pilgrims, as we enter India we must re- 
member that the Hindus are related to 
us.” 

'^Really and truly?” and Mary Ellen 
looked up from the pillow case seam on 
which she was making slow and painful 
progress. 

“ Yes, indeed. You remember that 
Noah had three sons, — Shem, Ham and 


ENTERING INDIA 


173 


Japheth, and we and the Hindus belong 
to Japheth ’s family. We are far apart 
now, but as we travel through India it 
will do us good to think of the people as 
relatives, I am sure.^^ 

“ Are they all Hindus, Miss Alice ? 
asked Avis. 

No, there are odds and ends of many 
races there, for India has been a country 
that many tribes and peoples wanted to 
conquer. I find that there are more 
than one hundred languages spoken, so 
we shall need an interpreter.” 

A long sigh from little Winnie Brent 
drew attention to her as she sat holding 
Miss Alice’s cat, Topsy, in one corner. 

Where — is — Lou ? ” she asked, plain- 
tively. 

Why, you poor child ! I think Lou 
will surely come, but perhaps she is with 
Mrs. Rutledge — they are great friends.” 
While Miss Alice was examining the 
over and over ” seams, and hinting that 
Joanna’s stitches were too far apart to be 
neighborly, there was the sound of feet 
in the open hall, and Lou came breezily 


174 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


in ; her dimples in full play as she said, 
“ Aunt Alice, here’s a s’prise for you. 
Mrs. Rutledge has been in India her very 
own self, and she’s willing to talk to us 
if we’d be pleased to have her.” 

Miss Alice was so “ s’prised ” that her 
face grew as pink as Lou’s, but she greeted 
the tall, aristocratic lady in her own 
charming way, inviting her most heartily 
to speak to them. Mrs. Rutledge ex- 
plained that when Lou told her the Pil- 
grims were going to India she had 
thought of so many things she saw 
while travelling through the country 
that she was quite willing to tell the 
children about them. 

Every girl was sitting primly upright 
as Mrs. Rutledge was introduced, and in 
each lap was a nicely-folded pillow case ; 
— they knew it was not proper to sew 
over and over ” in her presence ! They 
were surprised to see how sweet and gen- 
tle she looked, for the people in Rockside 
had agreed that the wealthy lady in the 
big house on the hill ” was proud and 
haughty. 


ENTERING INDIA 


175 


Dear little Pilgrims/^ she began, ‘‘ I 
have seen you gather here week after 
week, and at first I could not bear to hear 
you laughing and singing, for your voices 
made me think of another sweet voice I 
shall never hear again on earth. But 
God sent one of your number, like a 
little angel, to open my prison doors, and 
to show me that there are people who 
have absolutely nothing to make them 
happy and that I ought to help them. 
Some of them — yes, a great many of 
them live in India, and some years ago 
I went with my husband around the 
world, and spent several weeks in that 
country. So perhaps I can give you a 
few glimpses of the country and the 
people if you will let me be your guide. 
And you know we always expect a guide 
to answer questions, so please ask about 
whatever you do not understand. 

Now we have reached Bombay, and 
as there are street cars, suppose we ride 
through some of the streets. You see 
on every side fine, large buildings which 
belong to the English government and to 


176 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


English tradesmen. And you will see 
on some of the nice broad streets beauti- 
ful English homes too. But I know you 
want to see the people who belong there 
and their homes, so we will ride into the 
native portions. Some of their houses 
are large and are surrounded by yards 
and gardens. They have a ^ shut-in ^ look, 
and you wonder how you would get in 
and where you would find the family. 
But as we ride on and on we see the poor 
little huts where the masses live huddled 
together in narrow, dirty streets. And 
the people ! Why, that is what we notice 
first in India, — there are so many people. 

Please, are the houses open as they 
are in Japan ? ” Avis inquired. She 
asked the question in a scared way, be- 
cause it was such a wonderful thing to 
have Mrs. Rutledge there ; but she had a 
fine instinct which told her that the Pil- 
grims must rise to the occasion or they 
would be very dull company. 

Yes, in many cases the mats which 
were hung before the entrance at night 
were removed, and we could see the deso- 


ENTERING INDIA 


177 


late rooms with nothing bright or pretty 
in them, only a bare earth floor, a bam- 
boo bedstead or two, a little mud fire- 
place and a few copper or brass cooking 
vessels. The native shops are open, too, 
and you can see the men tailors, the 
blacksmiths, cooks, shoemakers, and mer- 
chants at their work. But you would 
look, most of the time, at the people, I 
am sure. There are men all dressed in 
white from the big turban to trousers 
and sandals. White is much used in hot 
countries, and some of the men have the 
loose white dress such as you see in 
Bible pictures. If such an one wants to 
run, he gathers his flowing robes and 
* girds himself ^ by tucking the ends into 
his girdle and in a moment he is tight 
and trim. But you see colors worn also, 
— red, green, purple and black turbans 
and jackets, and some of the women have 
blue and green chuddas or veils, but 
many are white. Among the crowds of 
poor people the white turns to gray, and 
hardly clothing enough is worn to cover 
their bodies. I watched the crowds of 


lyS TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


children, and their little thin brown 
bodies showed that they did not have 
enough to eat. Their faces did not look 
bright and merry, but they seemed gentle 
and were certainly polite as most Ori- 
entals are. But later I saw children at 
play, and they were imitating the work 
they had seen their mothers doing. One 
little Bengali girl sat on the floor, and 
with a stick pretended to grind spices. 
Another stood on one foot and beat the 
other on the ground, saying, ^ I am husk- 
ing rice.^ Another balanced a small dish 
on her head and followed her mother to 
the well, where she went to draw water. 
That is the way they learn to carry heavy 
jars on their heads, — by beginning when 
very young. Still another tiny girl pre- 
tended to be a washerman or dhobi, slap- 
ping a rag against a stone. For the 
washermen in India carry the clothes to 
a river — using a donkey if they have 
any — and there they beat them on the 
rocks in the cold water until they are 
clean. 

But while I saw children at play in 



GOING WITH THE WASH 



ENTERING INDIA 


179 


Bombay and in other cities, and was told 
that they had a few games like your own 
— marbles, jack straws and so forth — I 
never saw any except in the mission 
schools that were really merry and hearty 
as you are. They seemed languid and 
their great black eyes were shadowy and 
sad. Our friends told us we would not 
wonder at that if we knew how the little 
high caste girls are shut up in zenanas 
and married so very young, and how the 
low caste children, boys and girls alike, 
begin to work or to beg before they are 
half grown. 

Did you finish telling us about your 
ride in Bombay ? ’’ asked Ned. 

No, surely not. But I cannot de- 
scribe the scenes there, only to say there 
were so many kinds of people and cos- 
tumes as to be very puzzling to a stranger. 
Here was a native gentleman — proud and 
haughty — in his elegant white robes, 
there a beggar with a bag over his shoul- 
der for the gifts of the people. He is a 
religious beggar or ^ holy man ^ and every 
one feels obliged to give money or food. 


i8o TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


In every city these dreadful creatures are 
seen. We saw Parsees or fire worship- 
pers and Mohammedans with their 
prayer rugs, and scavengers and fine 
English carriages, — O, a medley which 
would keep you wondering and watching 
till your eyes ached ! 

But I must show you the temples and 
mosques ! Some are large and gloomy 
piles — others unattractive shrines in the 
street walls or in little recesses just large 
enough to hold an idol. In one temple 
close to the street a young priest stood 
pouring oil over the idol. The oil ran 
into a narrow tank and he dipped it out 
and sold it over and over again ; for 
when one bought it he would give it back 
to be poured over the idol. So you see 
there are two things that impress pil- 
grims at once as they enter the cities, — 
first, the crowds of people, who seem to 
have no object in life ; second, the indi- 
cations of heathen worship on every side.^^ 

I should think you would have left 
the cities as soon as ever you could/ ^ said 
Edith. 


ENTERING INDIA 


i8i 


Yes, it was more pleasant to ride out 
where one need not see such swarms of 
people nor smell such vile odors.’’ 

‘‘ And did you see birds when you left 
a city ? ” Persis inquired. 

“Yes, indeed ! India is a land of birds. 
Crows and hawks and kites stay near the 
cities and pick up the waste in the streets. 
Hindus never kill birds or animals, so 
they are seen everywhere and are very 
tame. While riding in the cars towards 
the north great flocks would start up 
every little while. We saw tall adjutants 
with scarlet heads in the pools, and pel- 
icans, cranes, plovers and ducks. Pea- 
cocks are sacred birds in India, so they 
roam over the flelds and gardens without 
fear. Small birds — multitudes of them — 
sit on the telegraph wires and trees very 
near the railroad. Sparrows and robins 
and scarlet tanagers looked homelike, 
but their colors are brighter than 
in our colder climate. You would 
And much to interest you if you love 
birds.” 

“ I do,” said Persis ; “ but if you please, 


i 82 twelve little PILGRIMS 


what did you mean when you said pea- 
cocks are ^ sacred ’ ? 

Why, my dear, I can hardly explain 
to you, — there are so many things that 
the people worship. Not only birds, but 
animals are sacred. Cows are very holy 
in a Hindu’s eyes, and monkeys and 
snakes ” 

Monkeys and snakes ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ! monkeys have temples 
built for them, and priests to wait upon 
them, and worshippers bring offerings of 
grain and fruit. This is because one of 
their traditions tells how monkeys once 
built a bridge for one of their gods. Then 
the snakes, — you know there are poison- 
ous snakes in India and one of the worst 
of all — the cobra — is sacred, and must not 
be killed. Instead, the poor women place 
saucers of milk for them and pray them 
not to bite their children ! ” 

“ Did you ride on a efilant? ” Lou in- 
quired, timidly. 

Indeed I did. There are many ways 
to travel in India, and I rode in the cars, 
in a doli, in a palanquin — with coolies for 



RIDING IN A DOLI 





ENTERING INDIA 


183 


horses — in big, awkward boats, in elegant 
English carriages and — on an elephant ! 
You would love to see one of the huge 
creatures in his gay embroidered cloth 
trappings and the cage on his back which 
they call a howdah. It was a wealthy 
Englishman who invited us to ride. The 
elephant knelt and a ladder was placed 
against his side and so we climbed up and 
sat down in the howdah. Then the great 
creature got up, and we screamed and 
clung to each other, for it was almost im- 
possible to keep our places as he tipped 
and turned from side to side. When 
fairly on his feet he stepped slowly along 
out into the street. His driver was a 
coolie who sat on his neck and guided 
him with his toes and an iron prod.’^ 

“ Would you like efilants better than 
horses for your carriage? ’’ 

‘‘No, indeed, Lou, for it made me sea- 
sick to ride only a short distance. It was 
even worse than the camel ride I had in 
Arabia. No, I prefer horses, or steam, or 
electricity to an elephant. But, my dear 
Pilgrims, here I am talking at random, 


i84 twelve little PILGRIMS 


and we haven't got acquainted with a sin- 
gle child, nor a woman. We haven’t been 
to a school nor a temple. What must 
you think of me ? ” 

“ We think we would like to have you 
come next week and tell us more,” Miss 
Alice answered, while the children nodded 
heartily. 

‘‘ Very well. I have some curios that 
I haven’t looked at since — since I came 
to Rockside.” Mrs. Rutledge’s quivering 
lips were eloquent, and every Pilgrim 
heart went out to her in sympathy. “ But 
I will find them,” she continued, and 
bring them next time. Then I will tell 
you more about the people.” 

“ Madam President, I move a vote of 
thanks to Mrs. Rutledge,” said Gladys in 
her best style. 

“ Miss President, I second the motion,” 
several voices murmured, and then they 
all stood in response to their own grateful 
hearts. Edith took her place at the piano, 
and they joined heartily in singing, We 
Will Send the Light.” 

After Mrs. Rutledge left they could not 


ENTERING INDIA 


185 


find words to express their admiration for 
her. '' And to think she should come to 
us, — -just us girls, they said. 

Will she tell us more about India at 
our first meeting after vacation ? ” asked 
Avis. 

“ Surely, and bring curios to show us,'' 
said Miss Alice. 

Then I'm going to have a long list of 
questions ready." 

“ So am I — and I " others echoed, 

and Avis said, There are a thousand 
things I want to know." 

** Haven't we had good times in our 
rocking-chair trips?" Miss Alice asked, 
as the girls lingered around her. 

So good that I mean to be a Pilgrim 
always," Avis answered. 

And perhaps some time our rockers 
will turn to wheels and we'll really go 
abroad ‘ strange countries for to see,' " 
added Edith. 


X 


AFTER VACATION 

I T was the second Saturday in Sep- 
tember, and Miss Alice brought the 
twelve red rocking-chairs from the 
big hall closet dusting each one as she 
set them in the usual circle. 

Dear little chairs,” she said, you 
really have a strange and foreign look as 
if you might have been whispering to 
yourselves about old temples and idols 
and curious people all these weeks.” 

She smiled happily as she hung the 
maps, laid out small singing hooks, work- 
baskets and the pile of pillow cases which 
were not yet finished but were waiting to 
be sewed up “ over and over.” 

Then Lou came racing across the lawn. 
She had reached home only the night be- 
fore, and was overjoyed to see her beloved 
aunt. 

“ Don’t I look sun-struck ? ” she asked, 

i86 


AFTER VACATION 


187 


holding up her face for kisses, ^ sun- 
burnt ’ ? 0, yes, that’s what I meant. 

Mamma says I’ve growed a whole inch, 
— not in tallness, but round my waist. 
And Aunt Alice ! I didn’t forget to earn 
some money for the heathen chil’ren — 
guess how ! ” 

O, perhaps you found a pearl in an 
oyster shell,” Miss Alice answered, taking 
the little girl in her lap. 

No, I never ! I wrote poetry. I sold 
it to Mr. Moses Morse. He was my friend 
and he had a sail-boat. He gave me fifty 
cents,” and Lou opened her hand to show 
five moist dimes. 

Miss Alice laughed and hugged her 
tight as she said, Why, Lou, I didn’t 
know you could write poetry. Will you 
repeat it to me ? ” 

“ I can’t remember it all, but the first 
lines was, 

“ * I see the shiny water, dancing up and down, 

I’m very glad I’m not a fish, but live up on the ground.’ 

That is poetry, isn’t it ? Mr. Moses Morse 
said it was very good.” 


i88 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“It certainly has quite a jingle. And 
now I’ll put your money with my fancy 
work. See?” and Miss Alice showed 
Lou some fine embroidery which she had 
made for the Pilgrims’ wallet. 

“ There come some more girls I ” cried 
Lou, as she saw them coming up the hill 
by twos and threes, — brown, and rosy, 
and glad. 

After greeting and kissing Miss Alice 
and Lou, they were eager to tell what 
they had been doing. 

Lydia and Lizzie had picked and 
canned a dozen jars of red raspberries 
and made two gingham aprons “ with 
bibs and straps.” Avis showed several 
yards of lace edging, and had a toilet set 
at home. 

“ I’ve made a landscape, with papa’s 
help,” Trudie said, “ and earned money 
taking care of baby enough to buy a 
frame for it.” 

Then Maud reported : “ Pert and I put 
our pennies together and bought stuff for 
sweeping caps and dusters. Mamma says 
they’ll sell like hot cakes.” 


AFTER VACATION 


189 


Mary Ellen had made a dozen holders 
every stitch myself/’ she said with an 
emphasis which hinted of real heroism. 
Ella Brown showed a dainty booklet of 
plainly written “ tried and true ” recipes 
for cake, gingerbread and home-made 
candies. The covers were lettered with 
gilt and the leaves tied in with bright 
ribbon. Ten more at home,” she said. 

Edith and Joanna had bought a dozen 
pretty dolls, and with some help from 
Edith’s older sisters had dressed them 
in suits that could come off.” 

Gladys waited until all were through, 
and announced, “ Two lovely silk sofa 
pillows — real fat and puffy, with lace 
ruffles.” 

Lou drew Miss Alice’s head down and 
whispered with a gurgle of delight, 
“ None of ’em wrote poetry but just 
me,” and then of course that was re- 
ported, and Lou recited the two lines she 
“ ’membered ” to the great delight of her 
admiring friends. 

I don’t suppose the boys have earned 
anything. They want to be in all the 


igo TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


good times but when it comes to work 
they’re shirkers,” said Joanna, with a 
virtuous air. 

Persis and Avis exchanged knowing 
glances. They had brothers. 

While they were still talking over 
their vacation pleasures Miss Kate Mat- 
thews came bringing a set of hemstitched 
handkerchiefs, beautifully fine, as her 
contribution to the ‘‘ heathen Pilgrim 
fund ” as she laughingly called it. 

Miss Kate was a rather magnificent 
young lady at whom the girls had cast 
admiring glances from a distance, but 
when she sat down with them and led 
their singing with her beautiful voice 
they began to think she was almost as 
nice as Miss Alice. The boys came in 
while they were singing, each with very 
wet hair which led Avis to whisper to 
her next neighbor, “ Pert, they’ve been 
in swimming.” 

But the boys redeemed themselves 
when, under ‘^reports,” Ned rose and 
read : “We thought we boys would help 
so we went fishing with Cap’n Snow in- 


AFTER VACATION 


191 


stead of coming to that last meeting 
which we were sorry for when we knew 
what you had. We caught trout enough 
to sell for seventy-five cents. Then we 
did odd jobs in vacation and we’ve 
counted it all up to-day. Charlie 
Wheeler, one dollar twenty cents ; Guy 
Brent, eighty-five cents ; Sam Taylor, 
sixty-eight cents ; Ned Leslie, one dollar 
eight cents, which makes three dollars 
eighty-one cents. Add seventy-five cents 
fish money and we have four dollars fifty- 
six cents,” and Ned laid it on the table 
while the girls applauded vigorously, and 
Miss Alice said, Well done, honorary 
members ! ” 

Then Mrs. Rutledge came across the 
lawn followed by Chloe bringing a large 
square box. Chloe’s face beamed with 
joy, for her beloved mistress was dressed 
in white for the first time in two long, 
sorrowful years. As they came in Mrs. 
Rutledge greeted the Pilgrims and as the 
box was set on the table she said : This 
is Chloe, little Pilgrims, who thinks a 
great deal of you.” 


192 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


I’se most shorely happy to see dese 
lambs of de flock. De Lord bress you 
Abundantly,” Chloe responded, with a low 
curtesy as she went out. 

Mrs. Rutledge had been beautiful and 
stately in her trailing black gowns, but 
she was more lovely in white, and the 
children were so absorbed in watching 
her that they hardly realized what she 
was taking from the box until the centre 
of the table was filled with curios. 

“ Idols, and brass things, and jewelry 
and embroidery ! they whispered, not- 
ing the variety. 

When she was ready to begin her talk, 
Mrs. Rutledge called Gladys, and taking 
a long white cloth with a border of bright 
embroidery she draped it around the 
little girks waist, brought it up loosely 
over each shoulder and finally drew the 
end around her head partly covering her 
face. Then pushing back Gladys^ muslin 
ruffles she put several bracelets on each 
arm, and rings upon her fingers, as she 
said, 

‘‘ I did not tell you at your last meet- 


AFTER VACATION 


193 


ing how the women and little girls dress 
in India, but here you have a little Hindu 
girl. You will have to imagine a nose- 
ring, rings in her ears, — perhaps three or 
four in each, — anklets and toe-rings. 
Beautiful necklaces are also worn, and 
sometimes bands across the forehead with 
jewels. This is a high caste dress. The 
lower castes wear a skirt, jacket and 
chadder which is a veil for head and 
shoulders. Here is a photograph of a 
‘ hill woman ^ with a water-jug upon her 
head. The women in the East still bring 
water from the wells as they did in our 
Saviour^s time for family use. But even 
while working, you see her head and 
arms covered with jewelry. She even 
wears a nose-ring. 

“How can they eat when they wear 
those rings ? Mary Ellen inquired. 

“ When the ring is large it is tied back 
and fastened to the ear, but our nice hill 
woman^s does not cover her mouth, you 
see.^^ 

“ And do little girls have those, too ? ” 
asked Gladys. 


194 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


*^Yes, in families of wealth one sees 
even the babies loaded with jewels. The 
boys, too, often wear strings of money 
around their necks. You see that is the 
way they invest their wealth. So the 
bracelets and necklaces, the armlets and 
earrings and nose-rings, the anklets and 
toe-rings are something like bank-books 
and railroad stock.’’ 

After some whispering Avis said. 
We all wonder how those women can 
wear toe-rings inside their shoes.” 

‘‘ Yes’m, — without pinching,” added 
Joanna. 

“ Why, my dear, the women do not 
wear shoes in India. Their feet are 
bare, so their rings show very plainly.” 

“ Oh I ” Bare-foot ! ” Grown up 
women without shoes ! ” exclaimed the 
girls. 

Yes, and sometimes when little bells 
are attached to the toe-rings they make 
a merry tinkling when my lady walks. 
Here is a variety of their jewels,” and 
Mrs. Rutledge paused to hand around 
some of the pretty ornaments. 




# 



HINDU AND AMERICAN 




AFTER VACATION 


195 


But if the people are so poor how 
can they afford such things ? Ned in- 
quired. 

“ The jewels worn by the poor are 
very cheap. Here are some that would 
not cost a cent apiece/' and she handed 
him a nose-ring made of brass wire, a 
bracelet of glass beads and a pewter toe- 
ring. 

The pewter anklets are sometimes 
very heavy, but a woman will wear 
several pounds' weight without com- 
plaining. The women of India wear 
jewels not only because they are fond of 
them, but because without them they 
would be taken for widows. I'll tell you 
about that later. But now I was about 
to say that when you think of the 
beautiful jewels and silks and the bare- 
feet you may imagine that the women 
and girls of India live in fine houses 
with soft carpets. But this is not true. 
The houses of wealthy natives are built 
around a court or hollow square, and the 
inner rooms facing the court are for the 
women. These are the zenana. Fa- 


196 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


thers and sons and sons^ sons, with their 
families, live together. But the furnish- 
ings of the zenanas are very poor and 
simple. The women have beautiful gar- 
ments and jewels which they love to 
exhibit, and those whom I met also 
showed their embroidery with much 
pride. But into their rooms the sun 
cannot shine, nor can the women look 
out into the streets. Sometimes the men 
have foreign carpets and furniture for 
their own use in the outer rooms, and 
they also have gorgeous clothing, but 
wealthy Hindus have not yet learned 
what home means. The lower caste 
women have much more liberty than the 
zenana women, and as we ride out 
through the country we see them at 
work in the fields. 

O, please tell about the farms ! said 
Charlie, then ducked his head behind 
Ned, surprised at his own boldness. 

''They would not seem much like 
farms to you, and you would not see any 
farmhouses,’' Mrs. Rutledge answered 
with a smile. "The farmers always live 


AFTER VACATION 


197 


in villages, and go to their few acres in 
the morning and home at night. The 
villages are made up of poor little houses 
with mud walls and thatch roofs, — the 
better part being for high caste the poorer 
for low caste people. Inside one of these 
houses you would find only a bed, mats, 
a box for the family clothing, a few cook- 
ing utensils, the ‘ mill ’ for grinding and 
perhaps a wheel for spinning. They are 
such poor little places it makes one’s 
heart ache to see them.” 

“ I remember you said the ladies in 
the zenanas were high caste, and now 
you speak of high caste and low caste in 
the farm villages. What does it mean, 
please?” asked Avis. 

Mrs. Rutledge released Gladys from 
her sarij as the Hindu ladies’ dress is 
called, and replied, It is what separates 
people, my dear. The Brahmin is 
highest of all and a string made of 
cotton cords worn across the breast tells 
the story, even if he is poor and dirty 
and wicked. He is the ^ twice born ’ and 
ruler of all. There are many castes, so 


198 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


many that we could not learn the divi- 
sions, but the people of one caste will not 
eat with those of another, nor will they 
do a kind act for them.’^ 

“ Caste is something like money in 
this country, isn’t it? ” said Sam. That 
seems to separate people.” In a moment 
the boy felt that he had made a mistake, 
for the people of Rockside had called 
Mrs. Rutledge proud because she had a 
great deal of money and did not mingle 
with them freely. But she answered 
very sweetly, “ Money ought not to sepa- 
rate people, but I know it does some- 
times. I’m afraid there are a good many 
Brahmins in this country ; — sometimes 
the cotton string is money, sometimes it 
is fine clothes, sometimes it is beauty, 
sometimes it is brains, and often it is 
pride or vanity, but whatever it is it ought 
not to make us forget that we are all 
God’s children and must be humble and 
helpful if we would please Him.” 

“ Gladys wears the cotton string,” 
Joanna whispered to Avis, and as the 
room was very still at that moment, 


AFTER VACATION 


199 


Gladys heard the whisper and her face 
flushed angrily. But she was learning 
some lessons in her pilgrimage and did 
not even look towards Jo. 

Mrs. Rutledge continued, Caste keeps 
the people from our missionaries, for a 
high caste man would rather die than 
eat food from a Christian’s hand. One 
missionary told us that her Brahmin 
teacher was very thirsty one day, and in 
earthen vessels in her home was cool, 
fresh filtered water. But it had been 
drawn by an outcaste servant from an 
outcaste well and was in a Christian’s 
home. No, he must not drink. So he 
went a long distance through the scorch- 
ing sun to reach a caste well. The fam- 
ines which bring orphan children to the 
missions break their caste.” 

“ Why do they have such famines ? ” 
and, “ Did you see any famine orphans ? ” 
Trudie and Guy asked at once. 

‘‘ I think every one is interested to 
know how they happen to have so many 
dreadful famines in India,” Mrs. Rut- 
ledge answered. It is this way. There 


200 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


are three seasons, you know, the cold, 
the hot and the rainy. The plains get 
very dry and the country looks desolate 
during the hot season and in June they 
expect the monsoon or beginning of the 
rainy season. When it comes the plains 
are soon green and everything grows 
rapidly. When it does not come the rice 
crop fails and other grains are late and 
scarce and a famine follows, when per- 
haps thousands die. And did I see fam- 
ine orphans ? Yes, indeed ; the mission 
schools were full of them. God has 
brought good out of evil by snatching 
these waifs from death and destruction. 
Some of the children were so plump and 
strong I could hardly believe they had 
been picked up while they were mere 
skeletons — dying by the roadside — 
having hardly strength to swallow when 
brought to the mission houses. But I can- 
not tell you about the schools to day 

Nor about the widows questioned 
Gladys. 

No, — perhaps Miss Gay will give us 
a few minutes at the next meeting. 


AFTER VACATION 


201 


Miss Alice said, “ Surely I will,^^ and 
then Miss Kate said, “I do not under- 
stand, Mrs. Rutledge, why these people 
are so improvident, and so poor.’^ 

Why, my dear, it is because they are 
idolaters I think,” she replied, “ and 
have no inspiration or ambition to make 
the most of themselves. There are idols, 
idols everywhere. They worship trees, 
and cows, and monkeys, and snakes, and 
rivers, and images of all sorts and sizes, 
and the dreadful men they call fakirs 
who consider themselves * holy.’ Crowds 
of people make pilgrimages to sacred 
rivers and famous temples and you will 
see many thousands at the Ganges during 
certain weeks in the year. That is their 
very sacred river and they bathe in the 
water and then drink it and carry it in 
bottles all over India.” 

^‘Ugh!” ^^Oh!” “How can they?” 
came a chorus of disgusted voices. 

“ Because they have gone down, down, 
down in their awful degradation until 
we could only compare them to half- 
crazed orphans, — orphans because they 


202 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


knew no Heavenly Father. My husband 
was not a Christian when we went to 
India, but one day when we saw these 
poor creatures on their way to the 
Ganges, several of them measuring the 
distance with their own bodies, — lying 
down in the dust until they were literally 
covered with it, he said, ^ If this is the 
best man can do for himself after hun- 
dreds of years, I shall turn my face to- 
wards God.^ And from that day he was 
a happy Christian.’^ 

Mrs. Rutledge’s voice sank into a whis- 
per as she spoke and every Pilgrim heart 
went out to her in sympathy. 

After a little silence she said, bravely 
recovering herself, So I have that to re- 
joice over. Now let us look at these 
curios ‘ from India’s coral strand,^ ” and 
all gathered around the table while she 
“ explained.” 

There were lovely cups and plates of 
hammered brass, all hand made, elab- 
orately carved sandal wood paper-cutters 
and fans, quaint ivory ornaments, boys’ 
caps embroidered with silver and gold 


AFTER VACATION 


203 


thread, beads and vases and “ sacred ” 
nuts, dolls, made and dressed in the 
zenanas, brave with tinsel, incense hold- 
ers, and idols of brass and bronze with 
ugly faces and twisted grotesque bodies. 

“ Think of worshipping such images ! 
said Persis. 

But millions of men, women and chil- 
dren are doing it all the time ; — bowing 
in the dust and offering sacrifices to these 
blind, dumb, heartless, lifeless idols, said 
Mrs. Rutledge musingly. 

Do I look natural ? ” Sam asked the 
boys as they raced down the hill, be- 
cause I feel as if I’d been in another 
world — sort of a dark cave, you know, 
thousands of miles away.” 


XI 


LIGHT REFLECTED FROM FOREIGN SHORES 

T here was a perfect babel of voices 
the next time the children 
climbed the hill, — excited but 
happy voices. 

“ My father said so this morning ! cried 
Joanna Stebbins. 

Oh ! your father.^’ 

Did he say she would pay half? 

Say, Jo, was it half? 

“ That^s just what, and half often thou- 
sand is five thousand. 

“ Five thousand dollars ! My ! mustn’t 
she be rich ? ” 

And the rest ” 

“Yes, everybody’s got to take hold like 
good ones and pay the rest.” 

“ But they will. My ! I’d go without 
— butter to help.” 

“ Who told her about it ? Was it the 
minister ? ” 

ao4 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


205 


“ I don’t believe papa ” Avis began, 

but Joanna answered, 

No, papa said he thought she said 
Lou Leslie told, but he said ’course such 
a baby wouldn’t know about church 
debts. He thinks the Lord gave her a 
vision ” 

I’ll bet — it — was — Lou,” and Ned faced 
the girls with a comical look of surprise 
and dismay. She’s the queerest budget I 

0 she’s a regular Pilgrim mother ! You 
see I heard her asking pa all sorts of 
questions about the church debt. My I 

1 guess gran ’pa ’ll want to give her a good 
shaking, — going to Mrs. Rutledge with 
such things.” 

Don’t you let him.” 

The little dear ! ” 

She’s so sweet I should think any- 
body would give ” 

Papa’s so glad he couldn’t sleep last 
night,” broke in Joanna impressively. 
“ He says that debt has ’most crushed the 
life out of him, but now they can swing 
it.” 


Won’t it seem queer not to have a 


2o6 twelve little PILGRIMS 


debt to bump up against every time papa 
wants to do anything? ” questioned Avis, 
soberly, for the minister’s family always 
knows about church debts. 

When they reached the dining-room 
they found Miss Alice, Miss Kate Mat- 
thews and Mrs. Rutledge talking ear- 
nestly and looking over books and pic- 
tures. Lou and Winnie were in one cor- 
ner and all the girls laughed when Joanna 
picked Lou up and gave her a reverential 
kiss upon her forehead. 

Jo, see if there are any wings grow- 
ing,” whispered Persis. 

Lou looked at her with puzzled eyes. 

Not wings, Pert, but just ruffles. Mamma 
made ’em all ’round my shoulders. It’s 
a new dress. Don’t you think I look 
pretty nice?” and a very human little 
girl stood up to be admired. 

But you’re an angel just the same,” 
Joanna persisted, and the girls began to 
realize for the first time how Joanna had 
felt about the church debt for her father’s 
sake. 

They always responded with a text at 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


207 


roll call, and after the Pilgrims had fin- 
ished, Mrs. Rutledge said in a low tone : 

^^And whosoever shall give to drink unto 
one of these little ones a cup of cold water 
only in the name of a disciple, verily I say 
unto you he shall in no wise lose his re- 
war d^ 

Her face was very bright as she gave 
the text, and the children wondered just 
what she was thinking of as they watched 
her adoringly. How beautiful it must be 
to be rich and good ! 

“Now little Pilgrims,’^ she said, after 
thimbles, needles and thread had been 
distributed and each girl supplied with a 
pillow case, “ I have some pictures to 
show you as I take you to India with me 
for a little while again this afternoon.’^ 

Hanging over the map was a crayon 
sketch of a little bride in her jewels and 
silken garments. 

“ Did I tell you how very unwelcome 
the girl babies are in India? Boys are 
welcomed and given the best of every- 
thing, but if the girl baby is allowed to 
live, — sometimes she is not, — she has a 


2o8 twelve little PILGRIMS 


pretty hard time. She is taught to cook 
and to worship idols, to scour the brass 
dishes and to take care of her jewels, but 
if she is a high caste child she stays 
in the zenana until her wedding day. 
Then, there is much feasting for days, 
and presents are given to friends and to 
priests and fine clothes bought for the 
little bride. There is a procession, too, 
and we saw one more than once. Do 
you hear music ? O, you think a band 
is coming ! But as it comes nearer, you 
see a dozen men and boys playing on 
queer drums, cymbals and trumpets. 
After them comes a company of singers 
and then a covered chair carried by men 
in which sits the little bride. The pro- 
cession makes its way along the crowded 
street, but sometimes a big elephant scat- 
ters the band, and then perhaps they 
meet a funeral procession and the gay 
music and the wailing of mourners 
mingle strangely. The little bride is 
carried to her husband's home, and there 
she is expected to obey him and his 
mother, and to wait upon the older 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


209 


members of the family, and if she dis- 
obeys she is often beaten.’’ 

“ I would run away,” said Persis, who 
had great faith that her swift feet would 
carry her out of any danger. 

There is no place for our little bride 
to run for shelter. Her own mother 
would not receive her.” 

“ But — please — why wouldn’t the law 
give her a show ? ” asked Guy. 

“ The English law doesn’t interfere 
with their customs. It did do away 
with the burning of widows, and throw- 
ing babies into the Ganges, but anything 
connected with their religion, govern- 
ment does not meddle with. And their 
sacred book says that a woman’s husband 
is her god. She must live only to serve 
him.” 

There was a little silence and Ned said, 

O, pshaw ! ” in a whisper. 

Mrs. Rutledge took down the sketch 
of a bride and under it they saw the 
same little girl wrapped in a dark mantle 
and without a single necklace or bracelet 
or jewel of any kind. 


210 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


'' What's happened to her ? " Joanna 
inquired. 

She's a little widow. If a husband 
dies, no matter if the little girl is only 
promised to him by her father, — she is 
called a widow. All the family pretend 
to believe — rather, they have been taught 
to believe, — that his death was her fault. 
She had committed some grievous sin, 
they say, their god is angry, and so he 
was taken. Because of this as soon as 
the husband is dead they tear off* her 
jewels. Barbers' wives make this a 
trade, and they often wound the poor 
little girl terribly when they pull out nose 
and earrings. They take off her beauti- 
ful clothes and put on her a coarse plain 
cloth. Now she must not have but one 
meal each day, and must do all the 
drudgery of the household. The poor 
little thing " 

I would go to my mother ! " Persis 
ejaculated. They shouldn't dare abuse 
me." 

*^But her own mother believes just as 
the rest do. She says ^ Unhappy crea- 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


211 


ture ! I can’t bear the thought of any 
one so vile ; I wish she had never been 
born.’ And children, there are twenty- 
seven million widows in India, and more 
than two hundred thousand are under 
fourteen and fourteen thousand are 
under four years of age, — mere babies I 
And all this wretchedness springs out of 
idolatry.” 

I’d rather be a wild Indian in a wig- 
wam,” said Persis. 

Gladys looked so distressed that Miss 
Alice called her to her side. 

What is it, dear ? ” she whispered. 

It makes my heart ache.” she an- 
swered back, close to her teacher’s ear. 
'^When Mrs. Rutledge put those lovely 
jewels on me I thought how nice it would 
be to be a little Hindu girl. But it is so 
awful ! I wouldn’t be one for anything. 
And the girls say I wear a cotton string — 
like a Brahmin you know — and feel 
proud. But I don’t want to. Miss Alice. 
I want to be truly good.” 

If you ask Jesus to take the pride out 
of your heart, Gladys, He will surely do 


212 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


it. And He will make you His own dear 
child.” The answer was very, very low, 
but Miss Alice heard, “ I will try,” and 
her heart was full of joy. Gladys had 
been so vain and selfish that no Sunday- 
school lesson seemed interesting enough 
to keep her thoughts from herself, and 
Miss Alice had often wondered what sort 
of woman she would make ; but now the 
selfish little girl was longing for better 
things because of the sad fate of India’s 
little widows. Gladys stayed beside Miss 
Alice, leaning against her chair, and when 
next she began to listen, Mrs. Rutledge 
was telling about Christian work for these 
widows. “ Pundita Ramabai, an edu- 
cated Christian Hindu widow, has gath- 
ered more than two thousand into her 
schools and homes,” she was saying, and 
there they learn how to earn their own 
living, and many of them are Christians. 
Others are being taken into mission 
schools and by and by better times are 
coming to these sad lives.” 

Removing this picture she showed a 
group of Hindu boys and said, We 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


213 


were very much interested to know about 
the native schools, and if you will go 
with me about five minutes I will show 
you one. We shall hear it before we see 
it, so listen ! There is a strange buzzing 
noise and you recognize that it comes 
from boys’ voices. Now we will turn a 
corner in the street and here we are, close 
to a Hindu school. Schoolhouse? No, 
Ned, they have none, but they have a 
veranda and there they are squatting 
around their Brahmin teacher, studying 
^ out loud ’ as fast and loud as they can. 
We could not study that way, but in 
China and India that is the way boys in 
the native schools learn their lessons.” 

I don’t see how they can learn a thing,” 
said Guy. 

“ But they do, — they learn to repeat 
their tables and their grammar lessons 
^ by rote ’ as we say, — and these boys have 
quite wonderful memories.” 

“Are their studies any like ours?” 
Ned asked. 

“ Well, now, tell me what our system 
of numbers is, — what figures do we use? ” 


214 twelve little pilgrims 


“ Why — Arabic.'^ 

Yes, and the Arabs learned the fig- 
ures from the Hindus. We really owe 
them much. Those brave ancestors of 
the present race were scholarly men. 
They made the first grammar, — his- 
tory and mathematical works that are 
known.'^ 

“ But I canT understand how they 
grow up such stupid idol worshippers if 
they learn anything at all when theyh’e 
young,’’ Guy said. 

They aren’t taught to use their reason 
very much, that is the trouble. We 
found that the teachers were usually 
rather idle, and let the boys recite with- 
out explaining the lessons. The one ob- 
ject in these schools is to pass the exami- 
nations and then try to get a government 
position.” 

And aren’t there any girls in such 
schools ? ” Joanna asked. 

“ No indeed. The little girls couldn’t 
learn, so their fathers used to think. 
They said cows could learn to read before 
girls could. Ah, it was a sad time for 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


215 


girls before the mission schools were 
opened ! 

Oh I there’s a mission school I’m 
sure,” and there was a breath of relief as 
the picture of some bright-faced girls was 
brought to view. 

Now, in many places in India, we can 
find such schools. There are not half 
enough, — the work has only well begun ; 
but already the men of India themselves, 
see what a change has come. Bright little 
girls are found even among the low castes. 
We heard of one child from the sweeper 
caste — nearly as low as any — who had 
been thrown away by her parents. She 
was taken by the missionaries, educated, 
given a medical training and became a 
most useful physician. And there is no 
class of workers more useful than Chris- 
tian physicians. As one poor Hindu 
woman said, ‘ Your God must be a very 
kind, good God to send a doctor to the 
women. None of our gods ever sent us 
a doctor.’ ” 

The boys were interested, but they had 
come with questions about other subjects, 


21 6 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


and thought Mrs. Rutledge had given 
quite time enough to girls and women. 
So Ned asked very respectfully, 

Did you happen to see any tigers 
Mrs. Rutledge laughed outright. 

“ Thank you, Ned, for reminding me 
that you have a healthy curiosity about 
the great country of India as well as its 
people. No, I am happy to say that I 
didn’t see a living tiger, but I saw some 
beautiful rugs made of their skins. Our 
host had killed several, and my husband 
went with him on a hunt. They rode 
on elephants and had a bodyguard of 
servants and before they returned had 
killed the ^ man eater.’ But I had suf- 
fered so from anxiety that I could not 
bear to look at the creature. But there 
were plenty of snakes and scorpions, 
lizards, bats, mosquitoes and red ants to 
keep us on the watch every night. The 
most wicked, poisonous snakes are the 
ones the people worship, and servants 
are very unwilling to kill them. In- 
stead of killing them the poor creatures 
set dishes of milk for them to eat, and 



FAITH, HOPE AXD LOVE 







LIGHT REFLECTED 


217 


pray them not to bite the children ! If 
you want to know about the jungles 
and wild animals of India, read Kip- 
ling’s best stories. One of the mission- 
aries said these stories had ^ the real odor 
of India.’ But I am talking too long, 
and here is patient Miss Alice waiting to 
tell you what she and Miss Kate have 
planned for an entertainment.” 

Winnie and I have wrote composi- 
tion about heathen chil’ren,” Lou an- 
nounced, as the two small girls came 
from the corner to which they had re- 
treated a half hour before. 

O, let us hear them I ” the Pilgrims 
exclaimed, and with long sighs of relief 
the exhausted writers yielded their 
crumpled papers. 

I can read Winnie’s,” said Avis. 

She prints, and her letters are hind side 
before half the time.” This was what she 
read. 

Oxigen is in the air. It is good to 
brethe. If we open our windows the 
oxigen comes floking in. Little hethen 
girls in India do not have oxigen enough 


2i8 twelve little PILGRIMS 


to brethe. we must send them Oxigen 
and bibles it must be sad to be a Hethen 
Child and sit on the Floor to eat with my 
fingers Let us send Tables and Chares 
and Oxigen to them.” 

The Pilgrims cheered generously and 
Avis explained, You see Winnie has 
been awfully curious about the air this 
summer, and papa told her about oxy- 
gen.” 

“ That is all right. Those little zenana 
girls need oxygen as much as any one I 
know of,” said Mrs. Rutledge. 

Miss Alice read Lou^s story which was 
as follows : 

Hethen chilren live on the other 
side of our world where the sun canT 
shine but if I went acros the oshun I 
would soon know why they are treeted 
so bad. I should buy efilants and take 
those hethen chilren and bring them 
home, then I would give them to all the 
nice ladies in this town. I would give 
ten to Aunt Alice and ten to Mrs. Rut- 
lege and ten to Miss Kate and ten to the 
minsters wife and ten ” 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


219 


By this time Miss Alice was laughing 
so she could not read and all the rest 
were laughing and clapping their hands 
over Lou’s generous division of her res- 
cued “ chil’ren.” 

The little benefactor looked at them 
wonderingly. 

“ I don’t think you’re nice to laugh 
that way, for I would give you more if I 
could,” she said. 

After Mrs. Rutledge, with Lou dancing 
beside her, had gone across the lawn, the 
children gathered around Miss Alice to 
discuss the subject which they had 
dropped at the beginning of the meet- 
ing. 

“ I couldn’t hardly keep my mind on 
India or my pillow case,” said Joanna. 

I had to keep looking at Mrs. Rut- 
ledge and thinking what she was going 
to do for our church debt.” 

And did Lou tell her about it first of 
anybody ? ” 

I wish you’d tell us just how it hap- 
pened.” 

“ She hasn’t been to church very 


220 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


much, — mother thinks it^s a miracle,^’ 
said one and another. 

Dear Pilgrims,” Miss Alice began 
with a tender loving glance which took 
them all in. ^‘Mrs. Rutledge says it 
was our little Lou who let the sunshine 
into her life again. Her husband and 
little girl had been taken away, and she 
felt that there was nothing in the world 
to live for. She was very rebellious and 
very sad. But Lou just walked in to see 
her one Sunday afternoon to tell her about 
our ^ heathen chiFren.^ She says God 
spoke to her that night ; — God does speak 
to people, children, never doubt that, — 
and in a wonderful dream she thought 
Lou led her out of a dark cold dungeon 
into a bright and beautiful place and 
pointing to a crowd of happy children 
told her that her money had saved them. 
They sang and waved their hands to- 
wards her and she awoke crying for joy. 
It was really like coming from darkness 
to light, for she began her plans to help 
at once. Then one day Lou told her how 
our church wasn’t ^ missionary ’ because 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


221 


of the debt, and she decided to pay half 
of it for a thank offering/^ 

But she wouldn^t have if Lou hadn^t 
gone to her first about the little orphans, 
would she ? 

“ No, Avis, the gift came by way of 
India. Don't you see how able God is to 
do what He says : ‘ Give and it shall be 
given to you pressed down and running 
over ' 

Oh ! is that what it means ? " 

Why, Miss Alice, did our Pil- 
grims " 

Did we start it ourselves ? Did God 

do it — because " 

O not to pay us ! not to pay uSy chil- 
dren, but it is His beautiful way of tak- 
ing care of His work and His workers. 
Don't you see how He touched dear lit- 
tle Lou's heart and because she was will- 
ing to obey His voice He made her a 
messenger to touch another heart and so, 
— why, it is when we are willing to do 
what He asks that He can send these 
great blessings. Let us be willing. 
Do let's trust Him and remember that 


222 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


the whole round earth is in His 
hand.” 

The children will never forget just how 
Miss Alice’s sweet face brightened as she 
said these words. There was a long deep 
breath in response, for the Pilgrims were 
learning that God’s great plan took in 
every land, and they were reaching out, 
little by little, in loving interest, wish- 
ing to help it on. 

Then Miss Alice told them that with 
Miss Kate’s and Mrs. Rutledge’s help she 
had decided to have their entertainment 
early in October, and that a part of it 
would be the songs of other nations. 
There would also be dialogues and read- 
ings. 

** And will we dress up ? ” asked Mary 
Ellen. 

“ Like Orientals ? Yes, some of you 
will, but we will have dolls to show the 
costumes of all lands. We mean, first of 
all, to show our people here in Rockside 
that we all belong to one great family,” 
Miss Alice answered with a smile. 

As the girls went down the hill Avis 


LIGHT REFLECTED 


223 


said, ** You will have to be the India 
bride, Gladys, you looked so nice dressed 
like one/^ 

But Gladys shook her head. “ No, I 
don't think so. I'm not a Brahmin any 
more." 

Avis looked curiously at the dainty 
little lady and suddenly recognized that 
she was trying to break that invisible 
cotton string ; and, saying to herself : 

I guess I've been a Brahmin myself — 
thinking I was better than Gladys," she 
passed her arm around the “rich little 
girl's " waist and they walked on in 
loving comradeship. 


XII 


THE SUBUKBS OF INDIA 

T the next meeting the Pilgrims 



were to furnish their own pro- 


gram while Miss Alice and Miss 
Kate planned and cut out the costumes 
for foreign dolls. 

It is safe to say that every girl had 
spread the news of what was coming and 
there had been a general ransacking of 
piece bags and bureau drawers for silks 
and ribbons. 

The boys had agreed to cut that 
meeting for they were not interested in 
“ doll babies ! ” But after planning a 
jolly afternoon in Charlie Wheeler’s 
grove with a fire and all the sweet corn 
they could roast, the wind whirled 
around into the east and on Saturday 
morning rain was beating against the 
window panes. 


224 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


225 


“ It always rains if we boys want a 
pow-wow/’ Ned Leslie grumbled. 

But you can have your ^ pow-wow ’ 
over at Aunt Alice's now like good 
boys," said his mother. Whereupon he 
remembered that his aunt had asked him 
to go up into Tibet and spy out the land 
and bring a report to the meeting. 

So he flung himself out of the dining- 
room with a “ S’pose I'll have to." 

Lou looked after him with puzzled 
eyes and sighed deeply. Boys are 
rather frazzly," she said. 

'^Why, what do you mean?" her 
mother asked. 

“ I mean like catapillars ; — frazzly 
about doing things. Like this," and 
Lou lifted her shoulders, jerked her el- 
bows and wriggled her small body across 
the carpet. 

Mrs. Leslie smiled at Lou's illustra- 
tion, wondering at the same time why 
boys who really love to do nice and noble 
things should like to appear contrary 
and rough in the doing ; — in short 

frazzly.'^ But Ned, after two hours in 


226 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


the library was in a more agreeable 
mood, and when it was time to cross the 
lawn he very politely held the umbrella 
over Lou’s curly head, much to that 
little lady’s delight. Nothing pleased 
her more than to have Ned polite ” to 
her. There are other little sisters who 
have that same peculiarity ! 

When it was time for him to report his 
lonely trip, he stood beside the piano 
with only a few notes, for Ned was a 
natural talker. He began with an 
honest confession. 

I didn’t like it very well when Aunt 
Alice asked us to see what we could 
learn about the suburbs of India, for we 
boys had another plan. But when it 
rained so, I thought perhaps I could go 
to Tibet and ring the door bell anyway. 
So I found a book that a woman named 
Isabella Bird Bishop wrote, and I got in- 
terested. You see she’s a great traveller, 
and she doesn’t care how hard it is to 
reach places if she wants to go. Tibet is 
called the 'Closed Land’ because the 
people don’t want any strangers in 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


227 


the country and threaten to kill ^em 
if they come. They did nearly kill an 
Englishman named Landor, father said, 
because he went to their capital. But 
Isabella Bird Bishop didnT go there. 
She just went as far as she could. She 
had some servants and a guide and a fine 
horse named Gyalpo that she rode. 
They started from Simla. Who knows 
what Simla is? 

And Ned, with a good imitation of 
grown-up questioners, gazed around the 
circle. 

Sam lifted his hand. “ Please, teacher, 
iPs where the English Government stays 
in summer.’^ 

Very good, my boy,’^ Ned responded. 
“ The viceroy, you should say. From 
there they went on up into the moun- 
tains riding sometimes along narrow 
roads with precipices on one side and high 
rocks on the other. They call such places 
^ passes,^ and I never knew before what 
that line in ^ Excelsior ' meant where it 
says : ‘ Try not the pass the old man 
said.^ 


228 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“ She rode where if your horse slips 
you’d have to go down a precipice, but it 
seems she could see everything just the 
same, — lovely flowers down in the valleys, 
colors in the rocks and sunsets, — I tell 
you she was a traveller ! 

“ When she got to the first Tibetan vil- 
lage she found the people awfully homely 
and dirty and kind. They took her into 
their dark dirty rooms and asked ques- 
tions and looked at her and gave her 
cheese and tea. And listen to this ! they 
boil a lot of tea and then put it into a 
churn with a pound of butter and some 
salt and churn it. That’s the way they 
like it best.” 

After expressing their disgust over 
Tibetan tea the Pilgrims were again ready 
to listen. 

“ They have prayer wheels up in Tibet 
for part of their religion. The prayers 
are written on paper and rolled on a cyl- 
inder. Then it’s fixed to whirl and every 
time it turns around you’ve said a prayer. 
Some of the wheels are small enough to 
carry in their hands, and some go by 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


229 


water, and some are set up in a row and 
you can set them whirling as you walk 
along, — a hundred at once perhaps. Isn’t 
that easy ? ” 

Ned looked towards his aunt mischiev- 
ously, as much as to say, What will you 
say to that ? ” but Lou was quick to an- 
swer, 

^‘You didn’t pray wheel-prayers when 
I had scarlet fever, did you, Ned Leslie ? ” 

The merry group sobered instantly for 
every Pilgrim remembered how their 
world had grown dark and sad one year 
before when little Lou lay battling for her 
life and they had all prayed the dear 
Lord to spare her. 

Ned’s eyes filled as he recalled those 
dreadful days and he said softly, No, 
Lou — I didn’t.” 

Pausing a moment to clear his throat 
he continued, 

Isabella Bird Bishop says the people 
dress strangely, — the men wear long loose 
coats with girdles around their waists and 
carry in them knives and pipes and a 
distaff. Then in the big blousey front of 


230 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


the coat they carry wool, and the men spin 
as they walk ! Yes, sir, that’s straight ! 
they spin and weave and make the 
clothes for the women and children, she 
says ; but the women pay back by plow- 
ing and helping with the farming. 

They have an animal I’d like to see. 
It’s a yaky some like an ox only wild and 
apt to kick and plunge over rocks. But 
the Tibetans make him carry burdens, and 
though he’s such a big rough fellow he is 
sure-footed like a goat. 

“ They call their priests lamas y and they 
have the say about everything and take a 
good deal from the people to pay them- 
selves. They live in monasteries among 
the high crags — the pictures look as if the 
houses were tucked into the rocks wher- 
ever there’s a level spot.” 

Ned sat down beside Lou as he finished 
his report, and as she nestled close to him 
and whispered, '' I didn’t die, did I ? ” 
he actually bent over and kissed the top 
of her dear little head. 

“Tibet isn’t open by any means to 
missionaries,” said Miss Alice, “ but some 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


231 


good Moravians have settled in the border- 
land and translated the Bible into Tib- 
etan, and have taught some of the young 
people. So they are preparing the way. 
Ned made his excursion to the north of 
India proper. Who went Eastward ? 

Avis laid aside the gay kimono she 
was basting, and took up a folded paper. 

“ I went to Burma, Miss Alice,’^ she 
said with a smile. I found ever so 
much in papa’s library about Judson and 
his work and the people, and I wrote a 
few things down so I wouldn’t take too 
much time. 

“ ^ The Burmese are different from the 
Hindus in a number of ways. They are 
a more active race, and the women are 
not shut up in zenanas. They are al- 
lowed to work, and buy and sell and 
make money. They dress in narrow 
skirts and jackets, and smoke long cigars 
which is certainly not nice. They like 
flowers, and wear them in their hair. 
The men dress in loose figured clothes 
and jackets with wide open sleeves. At 
Rangoon there is the Great Pagoda. It 


232 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


is more than three hundred feet high and 
is all covered with gold leaf. It is a 
wonderful building. All around it are 
smaller pagodas with great images of 
Buddha in them. The Burmese are 
Buddhists. Judson began missionary 
work here in 1812 and suffered a great 
deal from persecution. He had a wife 
who was very brave and faithful. There 
has been a great deal of missionary work 
done among the Karens, and there are 
many Christians among them. There 
are mission schools in Rangoon and other 
cities, and the Burmese children are very 
bright and make good scholars.^ This is 
all I wrote, Miss Alice, but I think all of 
us would like to read about Dr. Judson’s 
life, and how he began his work. Why, 
it is just like a story, but I never wanted 
to read about other countries and people 
before.’^ 

Just so I say,’^ added Ned as she sat 
down. You couldn’t have hired me to 
read about Tibet last year. I know, for 
pa said he would give me that very book 
that Isabella Bird Bishop wrote if I’d 



BUUMEtSE SCHOOL-GIRLS 








f ** 






- 


^ 




tnp 

'^-^- /-•. ■ • • 








“•K '■ ; 

I -' 

' fl?. ' * 

,1 li' f i • * 






fV-:'!i 




. 1 ' * j 




V h^\ • 


1 


JlT* ■ 









JVv' 


4 III M 


r / 


S M 



'^f 




*• sv:'-<^ 


*. ' » 


- > 



#•0 


BBiil r ' > " ^ ■ V ^ v C'* 

'•* ’ '. -\iP» .V ^ ki% ' ^ * 

■■ t' fc ’■ \^^-' " FI,' 

I t* ' sfeifer* , '^’C * J®*^' 





V 




^ f - 


•• r« y - 




5|>''ji“-“:ir:-' i '. 

:ii j. 


f 


. 4'"’“ 

1 / 



>• 



1 

■> 

. =: " 






<« 


r<i. •• 




fa 



S’ 



:•> r 


/ «' 



♦l i ■ ■ \ 

«i r* ^1 


V 


.t 


'h 


i.» 


. •■' > 






^ '<ii • '- .‘■’ ■ ■ *■'' 

t I 



t -a - 




A 



V- 


!<» 




t\- 


r*- 







Jir •» 


3^6' . '^,. 

>1^ & ft fflrei- i^il\ ( ii 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


233 


read it through. But I thought it would 
be stupid.” 

“We are stupid,” said Miss Alice, 
“when we shut ourselves away from 
such wonderful knowledge. Now I won- 
der if any of our pilgrims found time to 
visit Siam. That is a most interesting 
country with great prospects. When the 
young prince visited this country he 
came to learn ^ how to do things.^ ” 

“ I found something about girls and 
boys in Siam,” said Lizzie Wheeler, and 
then she read : “ When the Siamese 

young folks get up in the morning they 
do not go to the washstand to wash their 
faces for the simple reason that Siamese 
households boast no such article of furni- 
ture. Our little Siamese friend just runs 
down to the foot of the ladder, for the 
house is built on posts, to a large jar of 
water with a cocoanut-shell dipper. Here 
she washes her face, not in the dipper, 
but by throwing the water over her 
hands and rubbing them over her face. 
She does not brush her teeth, for they 
are stained black by chewing the betel- 


234 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


nut. Her hair does not require comb- 
ing either, for it is all shaved except a 
little tuft on the top of the head, and 
that is tied in a little knot and not often 
combed. 

After breakfast is over, and a very 
simple meal it is in Siam, the children 
go off and find some pleasant place in 
which to play. The baby goes, too, and 
is carried by the older sister on her right 
hip, and with her arm to support the 
child’s back she walks along as if she 
had no load to carry. 

“ The girls play at keeping house, and 
make dishes of clay dried in the sun, and 
from seeds, grasses, and weeds make all 
sorts of imaginary delicacies. Little im- 
ages of clay washed with lime are their 
only dolls ; these are sometimes laid in 
tiny cradles and covered with a few 
pieces of cloth. 

“ Boys in Siam play leap-frog, pitch 
coins, and jump the rope. Football is 
also a very popular game, but instead of 
a ball they use a little square piece of 
thick leather with feathers fastened into 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


235 


one side. The boys, too, are great fisher- 
men, and crab-catching is considered 
great fun.’’ 

“ That is very good, Lizzie. Did you 
learn anything about the country?” 
asked Miss Alice. 

No, but I was interested to see how 
in all these countries they eat rice and 
never seem to get tired of it. If a boy 
wants to carry a luncheon when he goes 
after fire-wood he just takes cold rice. He 
doesn’t have to have sandwiches and 
doughnuts and cookies. The mothers 
don’t have sewing machines to run, nor 
beds to make, nor lamps to fill, nor car- 
pets to sweep, so the girls have time to 
study all day long.” 

A loud “ Ha ! ha ! ha I ” from the Pil- 
grims brought Lizzie to her senses, and 
her face flushed hotly as she said, “ I was 
thinking of myself I guess. Of course 
the Siamese girls don’t care if they can’t 
study. But I just wish we could live on 
rice and have things easier at our 
house.” 

Dear child ! I wish you could/' said 


236 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Miss Alice sympathetically. “We have 
more cares than we ought to have about 
our food and clothing, I think, but still 
we would hardly like to change places 
with the people who live in huts and eat 
rice, would we? We must just work on 
and ask our Heavenly Father to open the 
way for us to make the most of our- 
selves.^’ 

Guy had just begun to tell how the 
Siamese love their folk-lore stories, and 
that he had one to read, when Chloe came 
in, her turban held high, her broad black 
face glowing with smiles. 

“ I’se happy to bring dis counterbu- 
tion from missus,” she explained, as she 
took from a basket bright rolls of silk and 
muslins, of ribbons and laces. The girls 
sprang to the table and the boys finding 
that the rain had ceased stole quietly 
away through the back door. 

“ 0 what beauties ! ” “ Too pretty for 

dolls ! ” “ Can we have them all ? ” 

exclaimed the girls as they shook out and 
held up the treasures. 

“ They is all fer this s’ciety, — the Lord 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


^37 


bress you ’bundantly in de use thereof/^ 
said Chloe as she departed. 

There was no more searching through 
the highways and byways of Siam that 
afternoon. All India was for the time 
forgotten as Miss Alice and Miss Kate 
parceled out the lovely pieces of bright 
silk. 

“ That’s just right for my Japanese 
dolTs obi-sash,” cried Edith, her covetous 
fingers on a rainbow-hued piece. 

And this stripe is just what the Bur- 
mese doll wants.” 

Wouldn’t the dark blue be lovely for 
my Chinese babies? ” 

“ And will you see that great piece of 
fine white muslin ! That’s for chadders, 
isn’t it. Miss Kate ? ” 

So they all talked at once, and if there 
had not been a careful hand to steer the 
enterprise all might have ended in con- 
fusion, because of the abundance of 
riches. 

As it was, they forgot all about the 
passing time until a burst of sunset 
splendor lighted the room. 


238 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Why it doesn't rain, and it will be 
pleasant to-morrow," cried Avis. She 
could not remember the time when she 
had failed to watch the sunset Saturday 
night, because you know ministers like 
pleasant Sabbaths. 

Miss Kate had cut out little garments 
for the girls to make at home, and even 
Mary Ellen Fairbrother had a straight 
skirt to hem for a rather American look- 
ing Burmese doll. 

I wonder if that was too difficult for 
Mary Ellen," Miss Kate asked, as the girl 
took her roll of silk and turned silently 
away, starting for home alone. 

Mary Ellen has freaks," explained 
Gladys, but perhaps she is afraid she'll 
be scolded for staying so long." 

This started them all towards home, 
each with her share of the spoils, chatter- 
ing and laughing over the good time they 
had in view. 

Miss Alice was alone at last and she sat 
in the grape arbor resting at twilight. 
She was tired but happy, for as she read 
a letter which the postman had left that 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


239 


afternoon, her face was full of tenderness 
and joy. The Pilgrims thought them- 
selves the centre of all Miss Alice’s happi- 
ness, and they might have been puzzled 
to see how much pleasure she seemed to 
find in just reading letters I 

But she was suddenly aroused by hear- 
ing a timid voice : “ Miss Alice, are you 
in there?” 

“Yes, dear, — who is it ? Why Mary 
Ellen ! what is the matter ? ” for Mary 
Ellen Fairbrother had come into the 
arbor and knelt beside her, hiding her 
face in her friendly lap and beginning to 
sob pitifully. 

“Tell me what it is. Has any one 
hurt your feelings ? Did anything hap- 
pen this afternoon ? ” 

Mary Ellen shook her head ; then one 
hand reached up over the bowed head 
and in it was a long piece of dainty lace. 

“ I don’t understand,” said Miss Alice, 
“ what makes you cry ? Is it about this 
lace?” 

— stole — it!^^ sobbed the little girl. 
“ Oh ! Oh ! — I don’t know why I did. 


240 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


It looked so pretty, — I thought I could 
have it — on my dress — our entertain- 
ment night. I’m worse’n a — heathen I ” 

“You dear child ! ” Miss Alice saw at 
once how the bit of rare lace among the 
treasures Chloe brought, had tempted 
this girl who had so little that was pretty 
and dainty to wear. She smoothed the 
rough brown hair, and waited until 
Mary Ellen’s sobs grew fainter, then she 
said, 

“I’m so sorry one of my girls could 
do such a thing, but O I am so glad that 
having done it, you could not be happy ! 
That is one difference between us and the 
heathen, Mary Ellen, — very many of 
them do not know what is right and 
what is wrong. But we know, — God 
has given us the light, and we know 
what it means to be honest and truthful 
and good.” 

She waited a moment and Mary Ellen 
said as well as she could for the sobs 
which would come — “ I was sorry the 
minute I took it, — but I didn’t dare — to 
put it back. Gladys would hate me if — 


THE SUBURBS OF INDIA 


241 


she knew it. But she — has everything. 
I don't think — it's fair." 

It is hard, dear, to see other girls 
with so much while you have so little, but 
if this is your cross you must be brave 
and bear it, and never, never do a thing 
that would make you unworthy to claim 
any one for your friend. Gladys is try- 
ing to be a Christian and to overcome 

her pride and selfishness " 

‘^She is?" 

Yes, dear, haven't you noticed ? " 

“ Yes'm, I did think she was some 
diff'rent." 

She has faults, you see, even though 
you think she has * everything ' heart 
could wish. But the same Friend who 
is helping her to be more humble and 
thoughtful of others, will help you to be 
patient and make the best of what you 
have, and if you will let Him, dear. He 
will make you better able to learn how 
to do everything." 

Truly? will He make me as good as 
Avis is?" 

‘^Yes, dear. You may not be like 


242 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Avis, but I am sure He will make a use- 
ful, noble woman of you. Shall we ask 
Him?^^ 

And kneeling there in the arbor. Miss 
Alice prayed that Mary Ellen’s heart 
might be made new, — that all her sins 
might be forgiven. It was very quiet, 
and they felt that He who promised 
never to leave His children was with them. 

Mary Ellen will never forget that prayer 
nor the talk which followed. There was 
a new purpose in the girl’s voice as she 
said when they parted, 

I’m going to try with all my might. 
Miss Alice. I’ve wished I was a Chris- 
tian ever since we began to be Pilgrims. It 
seemed queer to be doing missionary work 

and not be one, but I didn’t know ” 

I understand. You didn’t know 
just how to begin. But you see it is just 
as you came to me to-night. Jesus loves 
you and you can tell Him every time 
you are tempted to do wrong and He will 
help you. He will make you stronger, 
too, if you will keep close to Him and do 
His will.” 


XIII 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 

“ T SHOULD think everybody was 
I coming to our entertainment/^ ex- 
claimed Sam Taylor as he appeared 
at Miss Alice’s door with the tickets he 
had himself printed on his small hand 
press. They keep asking when it’s 
going to be and if the tickets are ready, 
— and now they are and I’m dreadful 
sorry I couldn’t have them ready sooner.” 

As Miss Alice took the package he has- 
tened to add — 

I had lost my ^ d’s ’ so I had to use 
one ^ b ’ in ^ admission,’ but there isn’t 
much difference, — the curly-cue is on 
t’other side, that’s all.” 

Yes, there it was, Ahmission 10 cents, ^ 
and crooked at that. Miss Alice smiled 
but shook her head at the same time as 
she looked into Sam’s bright eager face. 
He and Persis were delightful children, 
243 


244 twelve little PILGRIMS 


but both had that heedless careless style 
which was sure to mar their best efforts 
if it were not corrected. 

“ But Sam, — do you really feel satis- 
fied to have these go out as specimens of 
your work ? ’’ she asked. 

Not satisfied — maybe, but you see I 

was in a hurry — and 

“We gave you two weeks, Sam. And 
then, you know Ned has a press just like 
yours and you could have borrowed a 
^ d.^ Suppose some business man were 
looking for a boy he could trust to do his 
work just right, — what would he say ? ” 
Sam’s face flushed and he looked away 
as he murmured, “ S’pose he’d say it was 
a poor job.” 

“ ^ Whatever is worth doing at all, is 
worth doing well.’ That’s the idea. If 
you slight a bit of work like this I’m 
afraid you will slight more important 
things. Now Sam — I’m sorry to crowd 
you — but I really think you would better 
buy more cards and do this over. Would 
you like to have Ned help you ? ” 

The boy shook his head decidedly. 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


H5 


No’m — I’ll do it over if you say so, but 
I’ll do it alone.” 

He took the cards, — almost snatched 
them, and walked away ; his very gait 
showing that he was greatly disturbed. 

Miss Alice sighed, but said to herself 
as she closed the door, Sometime he 
will be glad he had to ^ do it over.’ ” 

Sam’s printing press was in their attic 
and it was very warm when, that night, 
he took off his coat and began the re- 
printing of three hundred tickets. He 
found his missing d ” in the wrong 
drawer, and even while muttering “ She’s 
too awfully particular,” he cleaned his 
press carefully. Then with something 
akin to excitement he made up his 
“ form ” and took his first impression. 
The first was not perfect, nor the second 
nor the third, but the fourth was, and 
Sam snapped his fingers and danced 
around his press gleefully. As he took 
the cards from the press, one by one, he 
laid them on a clean paper, carefully 
separated that there might be no blotting. 
It was eleven o’clock before he tiptoed 


246 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


down-stairs to his bedroom, and before 
school in the morning he had finished 
his task. Leaving the tickets to dry 
thoroughly during the day, he proudly 
packed them and marched up the hill 
after school to deliver them. 

Miss Alice met him as before and 
looked at his completed work. 

'' There, Sam Taylor ! she exclaimed, 
“ I am proud of you. These tickets are 
a credit to you and the Pilgrims. Are 
you sorry you did the work over ? 

‘‘ No’m,’’ said Sam, blushing and laugh- 
ing. That first job was a ragged one, — 
hut honest, I didn’t know ’twas so mean 
till I put these cards ’side of those first 
ones.” 

It pays to do your very best every 
time, dear,” said Miss Alice. 

Sam had heard her call the girls 
dear,” but it was a new experience for 
him. It was not unpleasant, however, 
and as he ran down the hill he knew very 
well that he had earned a new place in 
her estimation by showing that he could 
overcome his slipshod ways. 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


247 


And how those tickets sold ! The Pil- 
grims did not have to urge the people to 
buy. And what was the reason? One 
of the old men told the whole story when 
Avis went to him. 

Bless you, of course 1^11 come,’’ said 
he. It’s you children that helped pay 
the church debt all along of your foreign 
missionary work.” 

And truly, Mrs. Rutledge’s gift had 
awakened a hopeful and grateful spirit 
in the Church and community which 
had resulted in the entire payment of 
the debt during the summer. Freed 
from this old burden, all departments of 
Church work took on new life. Pastor 
and superintendent walked with a lighter 
step, and began to plan for extended use- 
fulness. 

But the Pilgrims had made friends for 
themselves in their own homes as well. 
Were ever children more willing to work 
Saturday mornings that they might “ go 
to Miss Alice’s ” in the afternoon ? They 
had grown more thoughtful and careful, 
also, as they learned about the great out- 


248 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


side world with its many wants and 
woes. 

Gladys Stearn^s mother was not a 
Christian, but when her precious daugh- 
ter came to her and explained that she 
had been a Brahmin but wasn^t going 
to be one any longer, and that Miss 
Alice thought she could be a Christian, 
she encouraged the new life and began to 
seek it for herself. 

So there was a kindly feeling on every 
side, and when at last the happy evening 
came, the hall was filled at an early 
hour. 

All the mothers and aunts and sisters 
were there to see the dolls and fancy 
work which filled long tables on either 
side. How shall I describe those won- 
derful dolls ? 

There were miniature Hindu ladies, — 
several of them from the zenanas of 
India, which Mrs. Rutledge had given, — 
and others with rosy American faces hid- 
den by muslin chadders, while Hindu 
men-dolls smiled under big white tur- 
bans. Chinese ladies with tiny feet and 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


249 


bright embroidered clothing were appar- 
ently gossiping with their Esquimau sis- 
ters who were dressed from top to toe in 
furs. Real Japanese dolls had been 
bought and dressed in bright silk kimo- 
nos with wide sleeves, trailing skirts and 
wonderful ofe, their hair elaborately 
coiled, making fine imitations of the 
quaint little women of the Sunrise King- 
dom. Burmese dolls in narrow striped 
skirts and short jackets, with tiny 
artificial fiowers in their artificial hair 
were true to the pictures consulted, only 
the girls had forbidden the smoking of 
cigars ! 

The odd and ugly costume of Korean 
women was faithfully given, even to the 
green coat worn over the head ; while 
from Tibet was a grotesque figure with 
head ornament of fur-trimmed “ ears,’* 
which finally had to be labelled to be 
recognized. 

Turkey and Armenia, Mexico and Italy 
and the Philippines smiled and neigh- 
bored ” with each other in the persons of 
these funny dolls, and everybody won- 


2 so TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


dered how the Pilgrims could have ac- 
complished such wonders in the line of 
sewing. 

But the twelve girls — excited and 
eager, waiting upon customers and ex- 
plaining everything said over and over 
again : ‘‘ We couldn’t have done it all. 

Miss Alice and Miss Kate and Mrs. Rut- 
ledge have worked with us for weeks.” 

And the ladies bought fancy work and 
dolls until nearly every one in the hall 
had a knobby parcel, while the treasure- 
box, guarded by Guy Brent, gave forth 
its merry jingle in response to the silver 
coins continually dropping into it. 

And by and by when the hall was fully 
lighted, some of the fathers and brothers 
and uncles came in and the entertain- 
ment began. 

You can imagine that every Pilgrim 
was in honor bound to do her best, and 
that Edith Kingsley’s piano-solo and her 
duet with Trudie Eastman were nearly 
perfect. It was Gladys who sang a plain- 
tive Hindustani Bhajariy or song, very 
sweetly, and Persis and Maud who sang in 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


251 


Japanese. There was no real Japanese 
lady or gentleman present to criticise 
their pronunciation, and to this day 
Rockside people call it beautiful.” 

Avis read a bright original paper tell- 
ing where the Pilgrims had been in their 
rocking-chairs, and all the girls gave a 
lively dialogue in which America received 
the nations and gave them counsel. Lou 
was dressed like a wee Chinese maiden, 
and told the story of little Mei Li. 

“ Are you sure you can say it? Could 
you say it with your eyes shut?” Ned 
asked anxiously as she danced softly up 
and down behind the curtain in her long 
divided skirt,” like a genuine Chinese 
girl. 

Yes, I could say it with my eyes shut 
and my mouth shut,” Lou assured 
him. 

But the pretty lips were unsealed when 
the time came, and instead of being 
frightened by the crowd she took them 
all into her confidence as she told the sad 
story of Mei Li’s baby days and girlhood. 

Lou’s encore was most hearty, and she 


252 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


came out with an all-embracing smile and 
sang a sweet little song, beginning, 

“I want to send a whisper song 
Across the waters blue, 

And say to all those little girls 
‘ Jesus loves you. ’ 

“ I s’pose they won’t know what to think, 
They’ll wonder if ’tis true 
But I’ll just keep on whispering, — 

‘Jesus loves you.’ ” 

It was very still in the hall, and some- 
thing in the earnest little voice drew the 
tears to many eyes. More than one sel- 
fish heart became suddenly conscious that 
it had never sent even a whisper song ” 
on an errand to countries across the 
waters blue.^^ 

The “ honorary members were not 
left off the program. Guy recited the 
Little Martyr of Smyrna and Ned the 
“ Lighthouse Keeper.’^ Sam played a 
violin solo, and Charlie used his clappers 
most effectively when Edith played the 
last marching song in which all took 
part. 

Then ice cream and cake were served to 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


253 


all who wished, and kind words of com- 
mendation were heard on every side. 

“ It was all missionary, and not dull for 
a moment. I don’t understand it,” was 
said more than once. 

As Avis and Persis sat down to eat 
their cream, two ladies behind them were 
talking earnestly and the girls could not 
help overhearing. 

“ What will the children do when she 
goes away ? ” questioned Mrs. Simmons. 

“I do not know,” Mrs. Kingsley re- 
plied. It does seem too bad that she 
must go just as they are becoming inter- 
ested. She seems too valuable to give to 
China.” 

Yes, she’s a lovely girl. I can’t help 
wishing — really I do wish Alice hadn’t 
met him.” 

Persis turned around with startled eyes. 

Please, Mrs. Simmons, do you mean — 
were you talking about our Miss Alice? ” 

''Why, yes, dear. Don’t you know 
about that missionary from China ? His 
name is Brigham — Mrs. Brigham’s 
nephew, and he ” 


254 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Don’t say it ! ” cried Persis. “ We’ll 
see her ourselves. I don’t believe ” — she 
caught Avis’ hand, and the two girls 
hurried to the farther end of the hall 
where Miss Alice was talking with Kate 
and Mrs. Rutledge. 

“ Don’t you cry, Avis,” she said sharply. 

Nobody can take her away from us, — 
she’s ours. Those women are just gossip- 
ing.” 

Mrs. Rutledge was coming towards 
them and they grasped her silken drap- 
eries. Avis was first to speak this time. 

Is anything going to happen to Miss 
Alice?” 

Going to happen? Why, my dear 
girls ” — and she stood still, looking into 
their scared faces — “ haven’t you sus- 
pected that your dear leader might be- 
come a real missionary ? ” 

“ Never such a word ! ” gasped Persis. 

The rest of the girls gathered around 
and Mrs. Rutledge drew them into a 
corner. 

It is too bad to have this news come 
to you in such a public place,” she said, 


SEVERAL SURPRISES 


255 


** but you see Mr. Brigham has to go hack 
this fall — earlier than he expected to 

That^s what mamma meant ! ” ejacu- 
lated Trudie. She asked me if Miss 
Alice was going to take us all with her to 
China, and I told her we’d been to China, 
and she laughed.” 

Mary Ellen was still groping in dark- 
ness. I don’t see why Mr. Brigham 
can’t go back just whenever he wants to. 
We don’t care.” 

But he’s going to marry Miss Alice — 
that’s what they mean,” Trudie explained 
in a loud whisper. 

Marry our Miss Alice,” Mary Ellen 
echoed. 

At last the whole dreadful secret was 
out, and the girls looked at each other 
with puzzled tearful eyes. 

There she stood by a table as fair as a 
flower, smiling and chatting as if the 
world were as bright as ever. 

I move we get up a petition and just 
tell him ” Persis begun. 

That we can’t spare her and he can’t 
have her,” added Joanna. 


256 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


“ If he's fair he'll see that he's doing 
very wrong," Lizzie concluded in her 
sober matter-of-fact way. 

Then Mrs. Rutledge laughed. O 
girls, girls ! it is too bad, but I'm afraid 
it is too late to petition. You see, she 
wants to go." 

As they left the hall Persis waved her 
hand tragically towards the platform so 
lately the scene of their proud efforts. 

“ It's all over," she said. We might 
as well never try to help anybody. We 
might as well let the world go to smash." 

Don't, Pert ! " and Avis grasped her 
arm. I'm glad we're Pilgrims and went 
across the ocean. It's a good deal to have 
almost a hundred dollars to help heathen 
children with." 


XIV 


GIVEN TO CHINA 

T here was great lamentation in 
the homes of the Pilgrims on the 
day following their entertain- 
ment, and as the mothers and friends 
bade them remember that Miss Alice had 
a right to marry if she pleased, the more 
unreconciled they grew. She was pecul- 
iarly their own. They had been her 
Sunday-school class from the moment 
they left the infants’ room,” and the 
suddenness of this apparent desertion over- 
turned their small world. 

The minister was the first to suggest a 
happier view of their trouble. 

He said to Avis and Guy, “ You have 
been wishing you could do great things 
for the people you have met in your pil- 
grimage, haven’t you ? ” 

“ 0, yes, papa ! ” Avis replied. If we 
could go right on we could support two 

2S7 


258 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


or three orphans as well as not. Miss 

Alice had it all planned, but now 

But now you have a chance to do 
more than that. As a Pilgrim band you 
can give her to China. Don’t you see ? 
And I advise you all to stop fretting and 
mourning, and do it cheerfully, for ‘ God 
loveth a cheerful giver.’ ” 

Avis was silent and thoughtful a mo- 
ment, then she said slowly, '' Yes, I sup- 
pose that would be the best way.” 

The idea grew in her mind, helped by 
memories of heroes and martyrs who had 
sacrificed everything they had. 

At recess she called the girls together 
in one corner of the school yard, and pre- 
sented that view of the case. 

We’ve wished and wished we could 
give a great deal of money to heathen 
girls, but we can’t. We can give Miss 
Alice though, for she’s truly ours, and 
she’s more than gold. Won’t somebody 
move that we do give her, and that we 
won’t fret and act stubborn any more.” 

There was no response at first but 
finally, as Avis explained the beauty of 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


259 


such heroism and self-sacrifice, Lizzie 
said, ‘‘ I move it.’’ 

“ Second the motion,” Joanna mur- 
mured, adding in a louder tone : All 

the same she’s too good and pretty for 
the China girls, and my mother says so.” 

“It is moved and seconded that we 
give Miss Alice cheerfully ” 

“ You didn’t say ' cheerfully ’ before,” 
Mary Ellen interrupted. 

“ But I meant that when I ^ moved,’ ” 
said Lizzie. “ I move we do give her 
cheerfully.” 

“ I’ll have to second it, I s’pose,” Joanna 
murmured, huskily, “ but I move we add 
'to China.’ I won’t second it if you 
mean give her cheerfully to that mis- 
sionary.” 

“We don’t any of us mean that,” Avis 
explained. 

“ No, indeed ! ” cried Persis. “ Now is 
there anything more to be said? You 
know we’ve got to be honest, and if you 
want to talk, talk now.” 

There was confusion for a few minutes 
and a general airing of personal feelings. 


26 o twelve little PILGRIMS 


Avis stood quietly in her place, a born 
chairman, and gradually the girls grew 
quiet. 

Then Gladys said : '‘As long as weVe 
got to let Miss Alice go we all want to do 
it cheerfully, and as soon as we vote, 
we’ve got another motion.” 

Every hand was solemnly raised, part 
way at least, in favor of the first motion, 
although faces were rather cloudy for 
those of cheerful givers. 

" Now then,” said Gladys, " mamma 
said of course we would want to give her 
a forget-me-not present. When she sees 
our motto and thinks of us ” 

“ There, Gladys, don’t cry ! I second 
the motion, and we can’t discuss for the 
bell’s going to ring,” said Persis. 

" It wasn’t a motion,” said Lizzie. 

" I move it.” Gladys wiped her eyes 
as she finished her proposition. 

" All in favor,” and every hand went 
up as the bell rang. 

There were other consultations during 
the week, and on Saturday, after some- 
what embarrassing opening exercises, 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


261 


which all Miss Aliceas tact could not 
relieve, Avis read the following, 

'' Whekeas, Our Heavenly Father has 
called our beloved teacher and friend to 
go to China, 

“ Resolved, That we, her loving Pilgrim 
band will give her cheerfully, feeling that 
she is more precious than anything we 
could ever hope to send in money. 

Resolved, That we shall never forget 
her, but will try to do as she has taught 
us, and pray that she may do much good 
and live to come back.’^ 

As Miss Alice looked into the troubled 
faces before her, she smiled and then her 
eyes grew misty, for she loved them so ! 

Dear little Pilgrims,^’ she began, I 
did not mean to have you hear about my 
going as you did. I thought after our 
entertainment I would tell you, and ex- 
plain how I had not expected to go to 
China until next spring, but that Mr. 
Brigham has to go next month. 

So soon as that ? 

Yes, and that gives me hardly time 
to plan for you as I expected to. But 


262 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Miss Kate and Mrs. Rutledge have both 
promised to go on with you, and I do 
hope you won^t give up your rocking- 
chair trips till you have gone around the 
world.” 

“ I don^t see where we can go without 
you,” said Maud. 

O there are ever so many countries to 
visit,” Miss Alice replied. You haven’t 
been to Africa nor any of the islands, nor 

to Turkey or Bulgaria or Greenland 

Why, you can spend another six months 
in those lands and then begin with Japan 
again and go over the list. You see we 
haven’t seen half we ought in any coun- 
try yet.” 

We shall go to China if you’re there, 
and you needn’t think we won’t,” sniffed 
Persis trying to wink the tears from her 
black eyes. 

Why of course you will I And I 
shall still be a Pilgrim — a real one, and 
write to you once a month at least.” 

And probably you’ll see the girls 
with little bound feet.” 

‘‘ And the great wall/^ 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


263 


** And I hope you won^t see any Boxers 
nor any of those wicked persecutors/’ 
said Joanna and Ella and Trudie almost 
in concert. 

“ And you’ll teach those girls just as 
you have taught us,” added Avis, in a 
low tone. 

*‘That is my dearest hope, — that I 
shall find girls there who will be as 
loving and good and true as you have 
been,” and Miss Alice looked around 
with what Trudie called her “ Evangeline 
Eyes.” 

I’ve been awful bad a good many 
times,” said Persis. 

And I’ve tried your patience, I 
know,” Joanna confessed. 

And Mary Ellen, unable to express 
her feelings, began to cry. 

You know how it is when parting 
times come, or when one we love praises 
us, we remember a thousand things we 
wish we had never said or done. So 
these girls seemed to recall all the 
naughty deeds of the past few years, 
and they wished they had always 


264 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


been good and true,” as Miss Alice 
said. 

She saw that the Pilgrims were in no 
condition to travel, that day, so she 
talked to them about the responsibility 
of missionary work. She told them that 
her going from them gave no excuse for 
lessening their efforts. 

“ Why,” she said, “ if I had died you 
would have gone on studying and earn- 
ing money just the same, I am sure. 
Whatever happens, so long as we are 
working for God we must not stop. He 
expects us to keep on as long as we live, 
— helping to build His kingdom. Some- 
times, you know, a person will have a 
misunderstanding or a quarrel with a 
friend, and because of it drop all his 
work in the church.” 

Old Mr. Cutler,” said Maud. Some- 
body took his pew in church and he’s 
never been since, — never ! ” 

“ How sad and how foolish. But girls, 
1 wanted to say to you, ^ Cling together.’ 
No matter what comes up to separate 
you, don’t let it make any difference. 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


265 


Just remember that as God’s dear chil- 
dren it is your duty to help build His 
kingdom in all the earth. If you keep 
that in mind you will pray and give and 
work as long as you live.” 

Then before they separated she told 
them that on her wedding day they were 
all to be her bridesmaids, and stand 
with her in the church. 

This gave them enough to talk about 
as they went slowly down the hill. 

If she must go, this will be the best 
part of it,” Persis said. 

But we’ll have to be polite to him if 
we’re bridesmaids, and I didn’t mean to 
even speak to him,” Joanna said severely. 

O, let’s give that all up, girls. Let’s 
make her happy if it — nearly breaks our 
hearts,” and Avis faced the little com- 
pany. 

'' That’s right,” and Gladys stood with 
Avis. Mamma says he’s a very fine 
man.” 

He’d better be,” murmured Joanna. 

'' And another thing,” continued 
Gladys. We ought to remember bow 


266 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Miss Alice’s father, and Mrs. Leslie and 
Ned and Lou feel. They all love her as 
well as we do, and poor little Lou didn’t 
come to the meeting this afternoon be- 
cause her mother was afraid she’d cry. I 
move that we behave now.” 

Second the motion,” cried several 
voices, and a unanimous vote was taken, 
then and there. 

It was a new thing for Gladys to be so 
thoughtful of others and Avis took oc- 
casion to whisper, “ Good for you, 
Gladys,” recognizing the new spirit. 

When she came to the driveway of her 
elegant home, she drew Mary Ellen’s arm 
within her own while the rest passed on. 

“ Don’t you worry one bit about a 
white dress to wear to the wedding, Mary 
Ellen,” she said in a low tone. “ Mamma 
says she just thought she’d get cloth 
enough like mine while she was about 
it, and let our dressmaker make ’em 
both. You see she knew about the 
wedding last week.” 

Poor Mary Ellen ! what she should 

wear to the wedding bad been a dark 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


267 


problem since the moment Miss Alice 
told the plan. And now it was solved ! 

“ Now don^t you cry ! Gladys con- 
tinued, because you’re to come right 
into my house and be measured. There, 
now, if you do. I’ll scold. I’ve been aw- 
fully mean to you lots of times, and your 
white dress will tell you I’m sorry. 
Hush ! ” 

So Mary Ellen said never a word of 
thanks, but her heart was full, and after 
she was duly measured ” by tape-line 
and pattern, and had been regaled with 
lemonade and cake she went home to her 
own little room under the slant roof, and 
had a good cry. 

It was a beautiful November day with 
a soft air almost like summer, and it was 
Miss Alice’s wedding day. She had 
scores of friends in Rockside, and they 
had made the church beautiful with gar- 
lands and bouquets. 

Ned, Guy, Sam and Charlie were 
ushers, and very fine they looked in 
their best suits and white kid gloves. 

If any one asked, Why does she have 


268 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


mere boys for ushers somebody was 
sure to answer, “ 0, they are Pilgrims — 
her missionary boys, you know/’ 

They and the girls wore as a gift from 
Mr. Brigham, a little gold staff with a 
tiny gold shell at the top. “ Because you 
know,” Lou explained, Pilgrims carry 
staffs, and the shell means that a long 
time ago the Pilgrims carried shells 
to show they’d been in the Holy 
Land.” 

This had little real meaning to Lou, 
but Holy Land ” had caught her fancy, 
and as the girls stood around her, all in 
white, she repeated the word solemnly, 
and bestowed upon the pretty badges a 
sacred significance. 

But now the carriages are coming, and 
Miss Kate, stately in her white robes but 
with flushed face and trembling lips, 
gives to each girl her place and tells her 
what to do. Then all eyes are upon Miss 
Alice who moves up the aisle on her 
father’s arm. Dear Miss Alice ! Tears 
will drop upon the girls’ bouquets, and 
even the wedding march sounds sad, for 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


269 


to them it seems to say : “ Going to 

China ! going to China ! 

Mr. Brent’s voice trembled as he re- 
peated the words each was to speak, but 
the two who stood before him went 
through the sweet and solemn service 
unfalteringly. 

It was only a few minutes before a 
crowd of people with smiles and tears 
were congratulating them, and the girls 
tried to say “ Mrs. Brigham,” and called 
her Miss Alice,” which she said was 
just right, for that should always be their 
name for her. 

Then there was a more quiet reception 
at her home, with a wedding feast, and 
Mrs. Rutledge’s Chloe was sailing 
around the kitchen, her white turban 
higher than ever, as she directed the 
waiters. 

In the library were the wedding 
presents. Among them was a beautiful 
sofa pillow with a wreath of forget-me- 
nots embroidered upon satin, and the 
words ** Forget Me Not.” Against it 
rested a large photograph of the twelve 


270 TWELVE LITTLE PILGRIMS 


Pilgrims in a frame decorated with the 
same sweet blue flowers. 

The girls had time to examine the rich 
display while Miss Alice and her sister 
were preparing for the trip to New York 
where the two missionaries were to take 
a steamship for China. 

“ She will like our present best,” they 
said, “ for when she’s homesick she can 
rest her head on the forget-me-nots.” 

And then, — the dreaded good-byes 
were said, the kisses exchanged, and they 
stood upon the terrace waving their 
handkerchiefs until Miss Alice was out 
of sight. 

The boys went away as soon as pos- 
sible after that. Ned and Guy wandered 
out to the nearest grove trying to act as 
if nothing out of the ordinary had hap- 
pened. Sam walked home with Charlie 
and conflded to him that he should never 
forget how Miss Alice had made him 
print the tickets over, and how since 
then he had been trying to “ straighten 
up and be thorough.” 

Mrs. Rutledge talked with the girls, 


GIVEN TO CHINA 


271 


assuring them that she would take Miss 
Alice’s place as well as she could, al- 
though she knew very well that no one 
could fill it, and Miss Kate tried to laugh 
as she called them fellow-pilgrims,” 
and besought them to be brave. 

But their best time was when they 
gathered in Avis’ room to talk it all over. 

“I’m so glad we gave her up cheer- 
fully,” said Joanna in a doleful tone. 

Then they all laughed heartily and de- 
cided by vote, once and for all, that they 
would be faithful to their missionary 
work as they had promised her. “We 
in Rockside and she in China,” said 
Joanna. “ And God in Heaven,” added 
Avis, reverently. 


THE END 


i 



i| 

' ’ ^ "J? *1^1 _ *4*.*^' ^ f ^ I ^ '^ * 5UL' Vi ' I ''V * * ' ■ ^ ^Ugh 


. '^i{‘^^- ; pr^:f',;ft\.c / -.yvmV'ivy' - -v /; 


■S •*,' y'-iu V/'*': - >f - ' ' '■•. ;•■' '■• ■' ■ ^.■^. 




^ a/.: ’ 'v ' ' ' •■ .'■h'>'\ ■ / 

-.v '’ 4 /'^s_:- 




i • ► *j 




■’«* A 


4 , V A * • . 

J ' ‘ • ' ' ' ^ 

/ o* •*■’*'9 

• ,' I .X '• ' (C? • * * 



.£^ 


I . 


\ 


>' 



jHi: 


i. •‘V 




' ■ -/ .•* 3K’f> jic ;c > 


s 

' • I 


I '')'A( 

?**.f . » 

< • I . . 


* '■ ^4 







I I 

t 


■f. 


t. 


•*, V- 

I I 




1,’^ 'Jivi 

• ' I'X'i 


d . 


.1 II 


» 


•#'. -T- ^ . 

I . i <1 ’ . I .' 

,,|«V' 
/.‘■...V 


ll 1 


' K 

. ll ■ . 




^ . 


»✓»'•, i'\ . -I •'■' -Ii r 

ST! 

v^ y.”'’ 




\ ;■ 


I • I 


I 


w 




^'^^•^ I • • • ',\* 


V< . 


, / ,V'* •■ .1, * f . » V ■ 


» • 


V i 


!4 


g * I J- 4 .*'.•,' ji’ j *: . . V • 

k xV/ ' •'■■ ''■•^'''■ 

' vik^W ^•. ' •' • ‘ 'V •* ' ' • 


■ -ffi 

^ -.s 


f 


f<r 7 . 


■.* **•' 
- V'.': 


«, * V'.. i» • 



r k 





•1- , 


t 


■\ * 


<j‘ yH ^ .: 

r •’i-'. i 

I 


'•^1 




^ if. 






, ' f * • ,^1 h 1 

i 'r 

I I ■ 


< 


.*li- 


M‘ 


.\ 


‘r\ 


I j i» . 


> 1 

< .*• ' / 


SJi '•.> vVi,, ?. ■ *' ' . , •’';*l'‘i' ’ * »*V' ' ''‘* ■ ' • ■ ■ 

> t ^ li /t'‘'r'‘''Vk / .' *• •- ', i-Axu '7 'ix'xv '* » ' t 

r-f, .: c ’\ • ;>•• , ,,m' - '*v.'’- '■• ■' iy-' ' 

Lr-^* A 1 V ■ , ? I V . \t *7 ,* '* ' ,* ^ '.^?lT]j '''' ■'s, . ** ■ ’ 

'f *'’ V ’-•‘‘•'I «■ ' , . !/''X','^ ’*• ' ' ' ' w 


»Y/‘ 


( 

•I r 


. , (• • '■' 'll'’ •' 1, 

*■ ■< S,'. \A . . • '. -.’ ■ . 


'. /;:\v .'Af;,'. , : v • ■: ,. , ■ x ■■ ;>. 

K'^., I. ' \/ • ^ I ^ 

iJOk' ’ i. J\ * .*-' * «■ A* ,' 





7.t7l?}S?7 



ii 




► I j ' 

■ '* .*' 

-I V' 

ny '* 


111 /* 


. \ <•• ’’ 

A ii» 





. 

\ .'* 


vf- 


,■* .\A 


•k 


‘ A; 




I \ * 
» i 

I 















